Scarlet Untold
by The Friendly Space Marine
Summary: Scarlet. The name became an infamous byword for cruelty and terror during the SandWing War for Succession. Many good dragons would lose their lives on the bloodstained sands of her Arena. But nobody's born evil. Not even the notorious SkyWing Queen. What terrible tragedy took place in her life to twist her into the murderous monster she would become? The untold tale of Scarlet...
1. Prologue

**Prologue  
**

The sound of chains rattling filled the chamber as the orange SkyWing thrashed about, straining against her bindings. One of the SandWing guards outside rolled his eyes.

"She's at it again," he muttered to his companion, another SandWing soldier. "Doesn't she ever get tired of making a nuisance of herself? Must be the tenth time tonight."

The first time they'd heard the ruckus, they'd bolted the door and called for reinforcements in panic, afraid that, somehow, the prisoner would escape and wreak bloody vengeance on them. She didn't and now they were less convinced of her bloodstained reputation.

"I wonder why Burn bothers keeping her anyway," the other soldier replied. "Especially after what she did to her collection. Might as well just dispose of her and work out a new agreement with the daughter."

"Not our's to wonder why," the first guard grumbled. "I'm gonna get some wine from downstairs. You want some?"

"Yeah sure," his partner answered. "I need to get drunk."

Meanwhile, inside the chamber, the SkyWing prisoner had stopped thrashing about. Her mutilated face was a mask of anguish and frustration. But even with one side of it melted away to reveal the bleached bone beneath, there was no room for doubt that this was the ex-Queen of the Sky Kingdom, Scarlet.

She slumped forward, panting heavily, all her usual regality discarded. It was no use. The chains wouldn't break.

She cradled her head in her talons. As her talons felt their way across the scar and protruding bone of her disfigured face, she couldn't help but wonder how things could've gone so wrong.

That cursed RainWing, Glory, she thought. She caused this-she deceived me and her venom did the rest. When I get my claws on her...

And that wretched SandWing, Burn. How dare she do this to me? Keeping me like this after all I did for her during the war. Of all the other dragon tribes, the natural longing to fly freely was felt most keenly in SkyWings. This made Scarlet's imprisonment all the more cruel-deprived of the freedom of flight and an open sky and instead locked in a cramped, enclosed room and held fast by heavy chains.

Even her own daughter, Ruby, had abandoned her-seizing control of the Sky Kingdom in her absence if what she overheard from her captors was anything to go by. I looked after you, she thought mournfully. I raised you, kept you safe from all harm... And you betrayed me. Of all the hurt and indignity she had suffered in the past weeks, this was by far the worst.

She had fooled herself into believing the best of her daughter. Ruby had been eyeing the throne even before the capture of the dragonets of destiny. She had just been waiting for a moment of weakness. It had only been a matter of time before her daughter revealed her true colours and tried to depose her, just like so many before her.

Who would ever want to be Queen? No mother should ever be betrayed by her daughter. Her exhausted mind wandered to something her own mother had said long ago. You are destined for greatness. Scarlet laughed mirthlessly at the bitter irony of it all. Oh how wrong they were, she thought. How wrong they all were...

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey guys, this is a new story I've been intending to publish for a while but never really got around to. I've always found Scarlet a rather intriguing character-albeit a villainous one.**

 **But recently I've found myself wondering why. Nobody's ever born evil. Why did Scarlet become the monster that everyone loathes and hates? What terrible things could've happened to make her so twisted and warped? And most of all, why the excessive use of the word 'thrilling' XD?**

 **So stay tuned for the next installment as we delve into the life of Scarlet before she became Queen of the SkyWings. Nothing will ever be the same again. I can only guarantee one thing as of now. It'll be thrilling!**


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Greatness  
**

**Many years earlier...  
**

The SkyWing palace was bustling with activity. It was a big day-the presentation ceremony of the newborn Crown Princess. All the noble families would be turning up to see the next-in-line for the throne and everything had to be flawless. 

The servants hurried around, busy with their various tasks around the palace-clean this, polish that, hang that tapestry here, smoothen out the carpet over there... 

Two such servants had been assigned the task of getting the Princess ready for the ceremony. Now some might have found it odd that the SkyWing Queen had been willing to entrust the safety and well-being of her only heir to two attendants but there was a perfectly sound reason for this. Two reasons in fact. 

The first was that these two were the personal handmaids of the Queen herself and were handsomely paid for their services and their loyalty was unquestionable-such high wages left little room for resentful and treasonous thoughts in their minds. 

The second reason took the form of the massive, Goliath-like, crimson-scaled dragon standing at attention by the Princess' crib-a bodyguard by the name of Roc-who looked like he could snap a fully-grown dragon in two with the flex of a talon. Roc's family-professional bodyguards all of them-had been in the employ of the royal family since time immemorial for reasons lost to most SkyWings. 

Conspiracy theories abounded ranging from the reasonable ones like suspicions of an age-old debt owed between the families to the plain ludicrous ones like accusations of the royal family dragon-napping young dragonets and brainwashing them into becoming absolutely loyal bodyguards but the true story of Roc's family is a tale for another day. 

Roc was well-known to be one of the best bodyguards in the business. Before the hatching of the SkyWing Crown Princess and when there had not been any other member of the royal family needing protection, he had made quite the name for himself working in the employ of other nobles in the kingdom. Countless would-be assassins had been dispatched by his claws, teeth and fire. He was in demand all over the Sky Kingdom. 

However, the moment he got wind of the new heir, he had packed his things and terminated the contract with his old employer to fulfill the duty performed by generations of his ancestors. Said employer had been rather regretful to see him go but then again, who could disagree with a dragon of that size? 

Roc looked the two servants over. "Business?" he grunted, eyeing them warily. 

"T-t-the p-presentation ceremony," one of them stammered, clearly intimidated. She'd heard the Princess' bodyguard was big but this was beyond big, this was mountainous! 

"Prepare. Dragonet," the other gulped, all vestiges of proper grammar promptly jumping overboard. "Orders from the Queen." 

Roc seemed to get the message and gave them a nod. But he didn't take his eyes off them, nor did he move very far from the crib. 

The two servants breathed a sigh of relief. That could've gone a lot worse. The tiny, orange dragonet cooed happily as one of the attendants lifted her gingerly from the crib while the other filled a small tub with water. 

They did their best to give the dragonet a bath-easier said than done especially since the dragonet was playing around in the tub and her splashing about was making it difficult to keep the water in. 

When they finally finished, they dried off the dripping dragonet with a soft towel and set to work outfitting her with the jewelry the Queen had instructed them to use. Before long, the Crown Princess was bedecked with bangles, bracelets and a necklace that weighed approximately twice her body weight. The dragonet shifted under the weight and began gnawing on the emerald on her necklace. 

Just then Queen Sparrow herself strode in, her crimson scales clad in a fine suit of gold chainmail. Her husband, King Eagle, trailed her, beaming at the sight of their daughter. 

"Isn't she just adorable?" the Queen said. She lowered her head until she was eye-level with the dragonet. "You, my little Scarlet, are destined for greatness." 

The dragonet didn't quite grasp the meaning of that statement-she hadn't learnt how to speak Draconic yet-and chewed away on her emerald necklace-not exactly the epitome of regality. 

"Oh, take that out of your mouth, dear. It may not be clean." She gently extricated the emerald from between the infant's jaws and began making adjustments where she thought necessary. 

Just then somebody else stealthily slithered into the room. Roc was on the move instantly and soon had the intruder pinned. It was Prince Raptor-Sparrow and Eagle's only son. 

"Nice try, Your Highness," Roc said to Raptor, letting him up. "But next time try not to step on a dragon's tail if you want to be sneaky." 

"Aww, no fair, you always see me!" Raptor complained, removing the offending claw from Roc's tail. It was true. He'd been trying to sneak up on Roc ever since he'd heard of the bodyguard's reputation when he first arrived at the palace. So far with no success. But the young Prince wasn't known for giving up easily. 

"Anyway, I just wanted to see what she looked like now," Raptor continued. "Ever since she hatched, all you've told me she needs to rest and shouldn't be disturbed." 

"Oh alright," Eagle said. "Come on in and say hi to your sister." 

Raptor looked at the dragonet. "Wow, she's still tiny," he commented, clambering onto his father's back. "Was I ever that small?" 

"All dragons start off that way," Eagle explained. "She'll grow." 

"Alright," Sparrow said, satisfied with her daughter's appearance for now. "Time to go." 

Eagle took her claw and asked, "Shall we, my dear?" 

Sparrow smiled lovingly and said, "Like you had to ask?" 

**Author's Note:**

**Guys, say hi to Scarlet's immediate family. This chapter was mainly meant to introduce some of the characters who will be playing a major role in the coming events. Okay, I need to ask how did you guys like baby-Scarlet?  
**

**The next chapter will introduce some of the other supporting cast. It's basically a ceremony where royal heirs are presented to the noble families-sort of a really, really official birthday party! Keep an eye out for familiar faces!**

**I tried my best to portray Scarlet's infant self but I've got very little experience in writing child characters so I'm gonna ask you guys what you think? Feedback will be greatly appreciated! Thanks guys and see ya soon!**

 **Midnightsoul of Shadowclan, Sun, FlopsMcGee, Ebony and Kitty-Thanks for the first 5 reviews! :D**


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Ceremony  
**

The royal family were escorted to the palace's great hall by an honour guard-impressively armoured dragons who were there more for aesthetic purposes than actual protection. Roc had assured them that they wouldn't need to worry about assassins today anyway. If anything, assassins would have to worry about him. 

Queen Sparrow was constantly checking on Scarlet who was clinging onto her back-almost as if she were paranoid that something might happen to the dragonet while she wasn't looking. 

"Sparrow, my dear, just relax," Eagle told her. "Everything's going to be fine. What do we have to worry about?" 

"All the noble families are going to be there, even delegates from some of the other kingdoms," Sparrow said. "I think that's plenty of reason to be just a little worried." 

"Well yes," Eagle conceded. "But the palace is crawling with guards. Nobody would dare try anything." 

"Alright, I suppose you're right," Sparrow said. "Just swatting at shadows..." 

"It's just nerves," Eagle reassured her, smiling warmly. "Today's going to be a great day. You just need to keep telling yourself that." 

"Yeah, I guess so." To Scarlet, she said, "And you're going to be absolutely thrilling!" 

The last word caught the dragonet's attention like a fish in a net. Thrilling. What an interesting word. She struggled to form the word but she still didn't have the co-ordination to speak yet. She snorted in frustration, determined to keep trying. 

"Dragons, esteemed guests,"a voice boomed from inside the great hall. Scarlet was so startled she nearly fell off her perch on her mother's back. She barely managed to find a handhold and held on for dear life. 

"Please rise to welcome the royal family," the voice continued. 

"That's our cue," Eagle said, taking Sparrow's claw in his own. 

"Raptor, hold on tight and don't misbehave," Sparrow told the young Prince sternly. 

The Queen and King started forward into the great hall, flanked by the honour guard. Scarlet found herself staring around in bewilderment at the new sights and colours in the hall. There were a multitude of dragons-all watching the arrival of the royal family. Most of them were various shades of red and orange but Scarlet spied a few flashes of blue and sea-green amid the crowd. 

Sparrow and Eagle ascended the dais at the far end of the room. Sparrow lay Scarlet down in a crib and regally took her seat upon the throne, Eagle and Raptor standing respectfully to one side. 

The dragons let out a collective hiss-a sign of respect for the Queen. All eyes were on her now. 

"Esteemed delegates, loyal SkyWing subjects," Sparrow began, projecting her voice so even the dragons at the other end of the hall wouldn't have any trouble hearing her. "I thank you one and all for being so kind as to take time off from your busy lives to gather here today to celebrate my daughter's hatching day." 

Most of the dragons were craning their necks, trying to get a closer look at the tiny dragonet in the crib. Scarlet curled up amid the blankets in the cot, blissfully ignorant that she was now the centre of attention. 

She began gnawing on a talon-a habit common for most SkyWing dragonets her age. She might've fallen asleep in the cradle had she not caught sight of another red-coloured dragon looking into the cradle. 

"A beautiful dragonet," the SkyWing noble complimented the Queen. "May fortune smile upon her." 

"Thank you, Osprey." 

Another noble approached the cradle. There was quite a queue-it was traditional for relatives and allies of the royal family to express their best wishes to the newborn and her parents. Now, most dragons used it as an opportunity to curry favour from the Queen. 

And so, dragon after dragon made their way to the young Princess to wish her well and congratulate her parents. Eventually, a new face came into view. 

This dragon wasn't crimson or orange like the others-she was a deep shade of blue. Scarlet, curious at the sight of this new dragon, crawled to the edge of the cot to get a better look. 

The newcomer was small-a dragonet-and she was accompanied by another similarly-colored but bigger dragon. Scarlet noticed some discoloration in the blue dragon's scales-just under the wings and along the tail, almost in a pattern of sorts. 

"Aww," the blue dragonet said. "She's so cute. Just look at her, she's adorable." 

The SeaWing's "discolored" scales which were actually bioluminescent stripes lit up and flashed a few times at the SkyWing dragonet. Scarlet blinked in surprise-she hadn't been expecting them to light up like that. She started giggling delightedly. 

"Coral!" the older SeaWing gasped in dismay. "Mind your language! Her Highness isn't even a year old and you're already using words like that around her." 

"Sorry, mom," Coral replied, rolling her eyes. 

"I don't really want to know what she said, do I?" Sparrow asked. 

"Nope, you wouldn't," Coral's mother said. "She probably picked it up from one of those potty-mouthed guards. Terrible language-I'll have a word with her about it later. It's good to see you again, Queen Sparrow." 

"And you too, Your Majesty," Scarlet's mother replied. 

The SeaWings departed and a maroon SkyWing noble stepped forward. "Hello, Your Majesty. It's good to see you doing so well," he said though his tone conveyed no warmth. 

Sparrow's eyes narrowed. "Griffin," she greeted stiffly, barely holding back a snarl. "I hadn't expected you to be here." 

Griffin was the most bellicose of the nobles. The outbreak of skirmishes between feuding families was not uncommon in the Sky Kingdom but Griffin seemed to relish fighting and took the opportunity to start a conflict anytime he felt he could get away with it. 

Being forced to intervene to end some of the more serious of the wars he started hadn't won him any place in the Queen's good books. Not that he would've wanted to be there in the first place. Griffin was ambitious and Sparrow knew it. It didn't matter to him that there could never be a male ruler in any of the dragon tribes, he wanted power and he'd do anything to get it. 

"Oh I wouldn't have missed this for the world," Griffin said, a wolfish grin on his snout. "A chance to see your first beautiful daughter." 

"You stay away from her," Sparrow snapped in spite of herself. 

"Oh why so touchy, Your Majesty?" Griffin asked innocently. But his sinister smile told Sparrow everything she needed to know. The guards tightened their grip on their lances, ready to protect the Queen in case the maroon dragon tried anything. 

But the moment of tension passed and Griffin sighed melodramatically. "But I'm afraid I must be off now," he said. "Duty calls." 

To Scarlet, he said, "Treasure the time you have with your parents." Under his breath, he said, "They may not live much longer." With that, he swept out of the room. Scarlet shuddered involuntarily and stuck her tongue out at the creepy dragon as he left. 

But Griffin had seen it and stopped in his tracks. A low growl emanated from him but died in his throat when Roc stepped from the shadows. 

"You were leaving?" Roc said flatly, more of a statement than a question. 

The bodyguard had a glint in his eye that told Griffin exactly how unwise it would be to argue so he did the most logical thing he could-he left. 

The tension in the air faded slowly, almost reluctant to go. Another SkyWing approached the throne-the last one in the queue it seemed. 

Sparrow's troubled countenance changed instantly to a smile. "Mynah," she exclaimed, rising from the throne and embracing her sister. 

"It's been too long," Mynah said warmly. They hadn't seen each other for years. Mynah ran one of the western provinces of the Sky Kingdom and their respective responsibilities and commitments made it virtually impossible for social visits. "You've clearly been busy," she said, indicating Scarlet. "Congrats!" 

A SkyWing dragonet ran up alongside them. "I see your daughter's growing into a fine, young SkyWing," Sparrow said, patting the dragonet on the head. 

"Yes she is," Mynah answered. "Shrike, say hi to your cousin, Scarlet." 

The dragonet-Shrike-peered at Scarlet inquisitively. Scarlet regarded the newcomer with a mixture of curiosity and uncertainty. Someone her size who actually looked the right colour. 

"Hey, Scarlet, I'm Shrike," the dragonet said, reaching a claw towards Scarlet. Scarlet-not yet acquainted with the conventions of shaking the other dragon's talon, was unsure of how to react and did what any infant would have done when presented with a new object; she bit it. 

Shrike yelped and retracted her talon. Thankfully, Scarlet's teeth had only come down on the claw and not the scales of Shrike's paw and hadn't drawn blood. 

"Shrike, oh by the moons, are you hurt?" Queen Sparrow asked concernedly. 

"No, Your Majesty," Shrike replied, still rather shocked. "I'm okay. Strong bite though." 

The Queen's chagrin that her daughter had just tried to bite her favourite niece's paw was clear. "Shrike, I'm so sorry that happened." 

"It's perfectly fine, Your Majesty," Shrike insisted. "I'm sure she'll grow out of biting other dragons eventually. Won't you, Scarlet?" 

Scarlet, not quite comprehending the situation around her, unrepentantly burbled the only word she knew. "T-Th-Thrilling!" she squealed happily. 

**Author's Note:**

 **Sorry that chapter came out so late, I had to finalise some details about the plot and the characters I needed to introduce in this chapter. Some are old characters, some are new OCs!**

 **Meanwhile, we now know where Scarlet picked up the word thrilling XD The next chapter will feature a slightly older Scarlet-it's time I got this story moving! So besides Scarlet, any other favourite characters so far?**

 **Another thing, I've got a challenge for you. How many characters from the original Wings of Fire series can you spot? Name them if you can!**

 **On a side note, I've introduced the main antagonist of this tale. See if you can find our mystery villain too!**

 **That's it for this week! See ya soon!**

 **Amanda, Glorybringer, Minecraft, Wingsoffirerules and Collins Key-Thanks! Will try to update more frequently now!**


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Flight  
**

Scarlet yawned for the fourth time in ten minutes. Her cousin and elder by one year, Shrike, shot her an exasperated look. 

"Well what can I say?" Scarlet asked. "Reading about all this isn't exactly the most thrilling thing in the world." 

It had been a while back since Shrike had moved in with them. Scarlett's aunt, Mynah, thought the province she ruled over rather unsafe for raising dragonets and so, on Shrike's third hatching day, she had asked the Queen to let Shrike stay at the palace instead. 

The education of both Scarlet and her cousin was a duty that had fallen to the royal tutor, an old dragon of a rather slight build named Wasp who was an expert in the history of the monarchy in the Sky Kingdom. 

Wasp wasn't that bad a teacher-Scarlet found him rather engaging when he talked them through the major events that had helped shape the Sky Kingdom in some way or other. In fact, the reason she was nodding off now was because he wasn't there to make things interesting. 

Wasp had fallen ill that day but he wasn't one to compromise his students' learning because of a personal inconvenience. Instead, he had made a deal with them-they would read through a chapter in their history scrolls in preparation for the next day's discussion and when they finished, they would be allowed to leave their lessons early-which weren't supposed to end for at least another hour. 

"How could you say that?" Shrike asked accusingly. "It's interesting-learning how we're here because of the actions of dragons in the past." 

"Interesting for you perhaps," Scarlet said. "But some of us aren't quite as inclined to spend the entire day with our snouts buried in a scroll. Namely me." 

"Actually, I could probably finish twelve in a day," Shrike corrected her. "Or nine if they're really long ones and the handwriting is minuscule." 

"My point exactly," Scarlet said, rolling her eyes in mock despair. 

"Cretin," Shrike accused her, chuckling. 

"Bookworm," Scarlet laughingly shot back. "You know what? I think I'll go for a fly around the palace. I need some fresh air to clear my head and if I spend another moment cooped up like this, I'll probably forget how to fly!" 

"Shouldn't you tell Roc?" Shrike asked. "So at least he can keep an eye on you?" 

Oh yes, Roc. Her own personal thundercloud. How could she have forgotten about him. She found the bodyguard almost oppressive-he never smiled, never laughed and he was always restricting her movements to the palace interior and enforcing her mother's curfew. Honestly, which dragons her age had curfews? It bordered on being absolutely ridiculous! Even Raptor, her older brother, didn't have to go through this sort of thing. 

And whenever she asked, they always have the same old answer. You're the Crown Princess, sole heir to the SkyWing throne, they would say. If something were to happen to you and there was nobody to inherit the throne, the Kingdom would fall into chaos and infighting. 

Sometimes she wished she wasn't the Crown Princess. She appreciated the perks of being royalty-the lavish lifestyle, the respectful bows from other dragons as she passed-but the responsibilities and the expectations that came with it almost made them seem not worth the trouble. 

She couldn't go here, she couldn't go there, she couldn't do this or that-all these limits placed on her were stifling-a leash upon her throat. Flamingo, one of her mother's advisors who also happened to be Scarlet's nagging etiquette teacher had told her not to yawn or scratch in public. She constantly impressed upon Scarlet the need to be demure and flawless. 

Well what if she didn't want to be demure or flawless? Didn't she get a say in it too? She was just a dragonet who wanted to grow up normally. She didn't even have any friends her age for three moons' sake! Shrike and Raptor were family so they didn't count. 

She sighed inwardly. She knew it was selfish of her so she never quite vented these frustrations openly. Her parents had explained it to her before and the rational part of her understood their reasoning perfectly. The irrational part of her, on the other talon, only reluctantly agreed to go along with any of it. 

Times like these, she felt she needed to escape from all of this for a while-if only to temporarily sate the part of her that chafed against the bindings that only she could see. The reason she didn't want to bring Roc along for her 'fly around the palace' was because she didn't intend to stay within the palace walls at all. 

Instead, she was going to sneak out and soar through open skies-to be free of the high ramparts and battlements that made up her virtual prison-if only for a couple of minutes. She'd done it all before-usually to give herself some time to calm down. 

"Nah," she told Shrike, trying to sound whimsical. "I'd rather not bother him. I'll be back in no time anyway. He won't even know I'm gone." 

"Right," Shrike said. "If you don't mind, I'll stay right here. I'm not up for flying today anyway." 

Scarlet gaped at her incredulously. What kind of SkyWing would ever be not up to flying? It was like a SeaWing saying they didn't feel like swimming or a MudWing saying they didn't feel like wallowing in the mud or even a RainWing saying they didn't feel like being lazy! The very notion was unthinkable! 

Then again, she told herself. It was Shrike. She could spend the whole day with her head buried in a scroll and be perfectly content. She loved her cousin like a sister but sometimes she could be rather peculiar. 

"Suit yourself," Scarlet told her, rolling her shoulders to loosen the tension in her wings. She poked her head outside. No guards in the corridor. She crept out, closing the door soundlessly behind her. 

Her mind was already two steps ahead of the rest of her. The ramparts were off to the left and she could make good her escape from there if they were unguarded. 

She peered round a corner at the battlements of the tall walls of the palace. Nobody there. It wasn't unusual for the guards to take extended breaks when they were supposed to be on duty. After all, why would they ever have to go to war? The noble houses were too afraid to dare to antagonize the SkyWing Queen and the other tribes got along with each other just fine. 

Scarlet seized the chance presented to her by the lapse in security and took off swiftly from the battlements. She skimmed low over the surrounding land, not wanting to be spotted by other guards who had their eyes on the skies or bump into any high-flying patrols. 

Eventually, when she was sure she was out of sight of the palace, she beat her wings, climbing rapidly until she disappeared behind the clouds. 

She closed her eyes, perfectly content, feeling the wind on her scales. The sunlight played across her face, making her scales shine and shimmer in a corona of colour-every shade of an orange sunset. She cut through the air effortlessly, her wings slicing vapor trails through the clouds as she passed. 

A feeling of weightlessness swept over her and with it, her worries and fears slipped away, replaced by a soaring exultation at her newfound freedom. Nothing could hurt her here. Nothing could bother her. She was a SkyWing. And the sky was her domain. 

"Thrilling," she said, echoing her thoughts. The word that so perfectly encapsulated everything she felt. "Absolutely thrilling." 

She glided a goodly distance, letting herself float on the gentle air currents and absently humming a random tune. Then she decided it was time for some more extravagant maneuvers. 

She shifted her weight to one side, simultaneously beating her wings. She made a full tilt and spun through the air, rolling wildly and laughing exuberantly all the while. This is where she should have been. Not cooped up in the palace where she was chained down by everyone's rules and expectations. She should be soaring free, free to live her own life! 

She tucked her wings against her body and streamlined herself. She felt her insides go crazy as she dive headfirst through the air-it was a good kind of crazy, the fun kind, the thrilling kind. She built up speed as she breached the cloud layer and plunged straight towards the lush green plains below her. The grassy ground rushed rapidly to meet her headfirst. 

At the last second she spread her wings which caught the wind and bore her aloft like a parachute, slowing her descent. She alighted gently upon the ground, her talons coming to rest-almost reluctantly-on the soft grass. 

"I love flying," she said to herself. 

The sound of voices interrupted her bliss. Had the guards seen her? Even if they had, who cared? She's done what she wanted, whatever they did wouldn't inconvenience her in any way. 

Her eyes widened as she realised they weren't guards at all! A motley group of dragons were burying what looked like another dragon in a deep hole. Her blood ran cold as she picked up some of their conversation. 

"Hurry up!" a voice said harshly. "I don't want to be spotted out here with the corpse!" 

"It'd be a lot faster if you got off your sorry behind to help!" another retorted. 

"Hey, isn't that a dragonet over there?" a the of voice said in alarm. "Somebody get her! We can't have her telling anyone about the body!" 

Scarlet paled as she realised they were talking about her! Several of the dragons broke off from the main group and took flight, speeding towards her! 

Something told her that, Crown Princess or not, those dragons didn't mean anything good if they caught up with her. Scarlet did the only rational thing she could have. She turned and took flight back the way she came. 

**Author's Note:  
**

**And so things begin to pick up. So sorry about the slow rate of progress of this story! I've been really busy lately and I haven't had much time to work on it. But in light of increasing demand, I will be focussing a bit more on this story now! So sorry to keep you guys waiting for this chapter!  
**

**But how did you find it? The characters, the description, everything! Feedback is much appreciated especially since this is the first time I'm writing about SkyWings (excluding my Wings of Sky story that is but then again, that's hardly a normal SkyWing!)!**


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Crow  
**

Scarlet beat her wings as fast as she could. She could hear her pursuers right behind her. She was aware of the growing sense of fatigue in her wings but the bellows and shouts behind her were more than enough motivation to keep her going in spite of all that. 

She was really beginning to regret this whole escapade. She hadn't expected to encounter a group of brigands or that she would be flying for her life like this. What in the moons had she done to deserve this? 

She cast a panicked glance behind herself. Sure enough, her pursuers were still hot on her tail. And a few of them seemed to be catching up!

Stupid, stupid Scarlet, she scolded herself. I should've listened to mom and dad and Roc and stayed inside the palace. Or at the very least I could've listened to Shrike and asked Roc to tag along. Now if I'm caught I might never see them again. Tears of panic came unbidden to her eyes just considering that possibility- 

No! Scarlet took a breath to force herself to be calm. Panic wouldn't help her now-it would only serve to slow her down. She needed a plan-and a good one. And she needed it double-quick. 

She couldn't outfly them-they were all adults and their wings were many times larger than her's. She could try to lose them and find a place to hide. Right now the sky wasn't the safest place to be. 

She spotted a dense cluster of trees and veered off in that direction. Maybe she could lose them in the woods. 

It seemed her pursuers had caught on to her plan too because one of them shouted to his fellows, "Don't let her get to the forest! We'll never find her in there!" 

Spurred on by their apparent dismay, Scarlet forced herself to fly faster. Already, she was breathing hard. But she was so close now! 

Suddenly, something clamped down on her tail! She held back a scream of panic as she saw one of her pursuers' claws around the tip of her tail. 

"Gotcha!" the dishevelled SkyWing snarled. 

Scarlet's mind was racing. What could she do to dislodge him? She glanced around, looking for a way out. And she spotted one. 

"Let go of me!" she screamed at the SkyWing brigand, vainly slapping at his claw. 

"Not a chance!" he shouted over the wind, a cruel, triumphant grin fixed on his snout. 

Scarlet looked ahead and said indifferently, "Oh well, it's your funeral." 

"What the-?" came the confused reply. Obviously he'd heard the noticeable change in her tone. 

Scarlet suddenly veered left-just in time to avoid the thick, tall oak tree that loomed ahead. She missed it by a bare inch, the tip of her tail almost brushing the woody bark of the tree. Her hanger-on however, was neither nearly as fortunate nor as agile. His attention had been focused solely on the fleeing dragonet and so he had not seen the massive oak until it was far too late.

The dragon slammed snout first into the thick wooden bark with a deafening thump. The jarring force of the collision was so severe that the ancient oak, which had braved years of rain and storms unflinchingly, actually creaked and groaned with a sound like a fully-armoured MudWing falling down a spiral staircase. 

"That's got to hurt," Scarlet remarked, allowing herself a small smile of triumph. But then she remembered exactly where she was and why she had been fleeing. She darted off as the other dragons barreled into the woods. 

Scarlet ducked and wove through the undergrowth. She dove below the branches and kept going. But her pursuers still kept coming! Curse these orange scales, she thought. They were visually stunning and in any other situation she would've loved them but they made for some very poor camouflage. She couldn't keep this chase up forever. 

Fortunately, she didn't have to. She spotted a small hole in the ground. It looked barely large enough for her to squeeze into but small enough to keep her pursuers out. It was her best bet of survival and so she dove towards it. 

Her brain estimated and calculated her trajectory. She'd only get one chance at this-a notch or two off and she would crash straight into the ground and it would all be over. 

She made the dive and the forest floor rushed up to meet her. In spite of herself, Scarlet actually found herself enjoying the thrill. She should do this more often. She pushed the foolish thought aside and focussed on getting the dive right. 

Her gamble paid off. She plunged straight into the small burrow much to the chagrin of her pursuers. Breathing heavily, she slithered deeper into the burrow trying to get out of reach of the

Claws scrabbled around in the dirt behind her, reaching and grasping. Scarlet pulled her tail just out of their reach and tried to make herself as small as possible. The claws retracted and she let out a sigh of relief.

"Now how're we going to get her out?" one of the brigands asked.

"I don't know-why'd you let her get away in the first place?" another demanded harshly.

"It wasn't my fault-Albatross had her and then he lost her when he crashed into that tree!"

"Ohh my poor, tender head…" another one said dazedly-probably Albatross.

The arguing continued, much to Scarlet's amusement. It occurred to her that by diving into this burrow, she'd left herself without an escape route. But at least she was safe now.

"Never mind," one of the SkyWings said. "We'll wait her out. That should work. She has to come out sometime or other."

That made Scarlet just a bit nervous. How was she going to get back to the palace now? She couldn't go out the way she came in-not with them watching the entrance-and there was no other way out! This day just kept getting worse and worse.

She forced herself to think calmly. There had to be a way out of this. Surely someone would come looking for her. But would they have any idea where to look? There was no way they could have known for sure in which direction she had flown. No, she couldn't wait around to be rescued.

Maybe she could sneak away in the night! When the dragons fell asleep, she could crawl her way out of the burrow and make a break for the palace. It was a good plan, she thought to herself. Now I just have to wait.

And that's exactly what she did. Scarlet waited quietly for the next couple of hours-no small feat for a dragonet like herself who always longed for the freedom of the sky and flight. But she really had no choice in the matter-it was either that or be killed! And so she passed the time by twiddling her talons and drawing small pictures in the dirt with her claws.

She had no idea how much time had passed when she suddenly woke up. She must've fallen asleep while waiting! She peered out into the mouth of the burrow. The soft, gentle moonlight was streaming in told her it was time to make her move. She could only hope her pursuers were all asleep too.

Suddenly, much to her shock, a dragon popped his head into the burrow. "Hello there," he greeted cheerfully. Scarlet shrieked, her voice easily climbing into the upper ranges of hearing, startled at the sudden appearance of the other SkyWing dragonet.

The other dragonet covered his ears, wincing. "Wow, strong lungs," he remarked with a perplexed-looking grin.

"Shh!" Scarlet told him urgently. "There are brigands outside."

"Brigands?" the other dragonet asked. He extracted his head from the hole and looked around. "I don't see any brigands out here. Unless you consider that rabbit loping around over there a brigand."

"Nope, no brigands, ruffians or murderers out here," he confirmed as he poked his head back into the burrow.

They weren't there? Scarlet's heart leapt. That meant they'd given up looking for her!

"Great!" she said. "Excuse me while I get out of here." The other dragonet obligingly moved out of her way.

She crawled towards the mouth of the burrow, dislodging roots and bits of earth all around. Suddenly, she felt a tugging sensation on the end of her tail. She looked back and much to her dismay, she realised her tail had become stuck-wedged in a crevasse!

She groaned as she realised it must've happened when she was asleep. She mentally berated herself for her carelessness and she tried to tug it free. It simply refused to budge! This was awful-so close to escape and this had to happen now of all times!

Hearing her groans and grumbles, the other dragonet peeked in and said, "Everything okay down there?"

"I'm stuck," came Scarlet's sullen reply.

"Stuck?"

"It's my tail," Scarlet said. "It's stuck between two rocks."

"Here, let me see if I can help," he answered cheerily, wedging himself bodily into the burrow.

Scarlet moved aside as much as the cramped confines of the burrow would allow her so the other dragonet could get in. It faintly occurred to her that she had never been this close to a guy all her life. Then again, she didn't know that many male SkyWing dragonets at all.

After a few moments, the other dragonet said, "Okay, I'm going to pry the rocks apart-you just get ready to pull on your side."

"Got it," Scarlet said, hoping with all her might that this would work.

"Alright, three, two, one. Okay, pull!"

Scarlet gave the length of her tail a sharp tug. To her relief, it came loose instantly. Unfortunately, there was now another problem.

"Uhh, I've got a problem. I think I'm stuck now," the other dragonet declared suddenly.

Scarlet tried to pull herself out but found that she was stuck too! The small hole had only been big enough for one dragonet to fit-now there were two jammed into it, it was going to take a miracle to get them both out.

"Okay, we're going to have to pull out at the same time," Scarlet said. "On my count of three."

"Gotcha," the other dragonet replied, his body tensing.

"One, two, three. Now!"

They both pulled simultaneously. The strain on the burrow walls was too much and it finally caved in, showering the pair with dust and dirt. The two of them came free and tumbled out of the collapsing burrow just in time as the small cave imploded, landing in a heap.

However, so entangled were they that, as they managed to tug free of the hole, Scarlet was unintentionally flipped over and landed with a thump on top of the other dragonet, winding him accidentally. But that wasn't the worst of it. The worst was when Scarlet opened her eyes to find her snout pressed firmly against the other dragonet's!

They quickly disentangled themselves from each other and backed away, both turning a deep shade of red. Now that she got a better look at him, she realised that the SkyWing dragonet was about her size. His face was handsome-though that wasn't something she planned to tell him outright-and had a sort of perpetual quizzical look to it. What impressed her most was his dazzling coat of copper-coloured scales that seemed to glint and shift in the light.

She realised that while she had been staring at him, he had been returning her gaze. They quickly, embarrassedly broke off their gawking.

"I'm Crow," the other dragonet said finally, extending a talon to her.

"Scarlet," she replied, taking his claw. "Let's pretend all that didn't just happen."

"Scarlet? As in Princess Scarlet?" Crow asked incredulously, his jaw dropping in an almost comical manner.

"Yes, I'm that Scarlet," she told him, suddenly rather embarrassed by her title and the look he was giving her. "And I'm giving you a royal command never to speak of what just happened again."

"Definitely, Your Highness," Crow replied, miming the action of locking his mouth and throwing away an imaginary key. "Wouldn't dream of it. If you don't mind me asking, Your Highness, what in three moons were you doing down there?"

"Running from bandits," she replied. "I saw them hiding a body and they started chasing me."

Reality suddenly hit her full in the face. "I need to get back to the palace. My mother is going to be furious that I've been gone all this while," she said, a mortified expression coming over her.

"I could bring you to the city," Crow offered. "You'll be able to find your way back to the palace quite easily from there." 

"Really? Could you?" Scarlet asked, relief evident in her voice. "That would be great!" 

As they set off, Scarlet couldn't help wondering to herself that maybe, in spite of how bad the day had seemed earlier, something good had come out of it-the dragon flying along beside her for instance. 

**Author's Note:  
**

**Sorry this update took so long-computer problems were a real pain in the tail. But I'm glad I managed to finally get this chapter off the ground.**

**So what did you think of it? I introduced a new character-Crow-and I'd like to find out what you guys think. He hasn't been fully explored yet-there's a lot more to him than meets the eye XD but that'll be an issue for the next chapter to elaborate on. Oh and as for the brigands chasing Scarlet, some of you may be wondering why they didn't try to smoke her out with their flame breath when she was stuck in the hole. Well, that's another thing I plan to explain in the next chapter. Feel free to guess all the same:)  
**

**Reviews for Chapter 2:**

**Wingsoffirerules-Why thank you. Glad to please:)**

**Guest of 22nd August-Yeah, Osprey was a bit of a tragedy. As for Scarlet, well it's the world that shapes us all. Fate just happened to be particularly cruel to Scarlet and so the dreadful SkyWing Queen we all know and love was born... As for Winter Turning, I know how you feel-I can't read any of the new books until my exams are all over:( But stay strong, they'll end eventually:)**

**Kitty-Do you still think Shrike is evil? XD**

**Reviews for Chapter 3:**

**WolfFrostTheMighty-Yep, the Sky Kingdom is a rather unsafe place right now XD then again, that's always been true for the land of the SkyWings hasn't it-even during the war!**

**Minecraft-as I think I mentioned in the Wings of Sky fanfic, I don't live in the East Coast so I happen to upload at odd times XD hope you don't mind though?**

**Adrenaline The SkyWing-thanks for the idea! I was actually intending to do one on Blister and Burn but I'll keep the other Queens in mind too:)**

**fluttermoon-thanks, and definitely count on it:)**

**glorybringer-thanks:) Also as for your Wings of Sky review yesterday, I guess somewhere in North America? XD Nah, I'm joking-it really depends. Did you intend on it being a crossover or to stay within the Wings of Fire universe?  
**

**Kitty-fabulous flamingos XD**


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Surprises  
**

It was getting later and later as they set off for the city. Crow had led the way through the trees until they had come across what seemed to be a well-trodden footpath which Crow had told her was used by traveling dragons when they needed to rest their wings. They had used the winding trail as directions of sorts since then. 

The flight had been rather uneventful and so Scarlet and her guide amused themselves with idle chatter to pass the time. 

"So what's life in the palace like?" Crow asked, breaking the awkward silence that had settled for the fifth time now. 

And so she told him. She told him of its comforts and luxuries. She told him how she'd grown up with a loving, caring family. She told him of how, in spite of it all, she felt caged-restricted by the palace walls and shadowed at all times by her unerring bodyguard. 

"I don't mean to sound ungrateful or anything," Scarlet explained. "I know I've had it a lot better than plenty of other dragons out there. But I just feel so frustrated with everything." 

"My parents are so scared for my safety," she continued, sighing. "It's like they think I'm some kind of fragile piece of glass-they won't let me out of their sight for a moment because they're afraid that I might shatter. I'm never allowed to do anything on my own. You're the first and only dragonet I know who's not part of the royal family." 

"Wow, you make it sound like some kind of prison," Crow remarked with an involuntary shudder. "And I've seen enough of those to know." 

"Well, I might be exaggerating it a little," Scarlet conceded. "It's probably not all as bad as I make it out to be. But sometimes I wish I could be normal for a change. Maybe you could tell me what it's like?" 

The question caught Crow by surprise. He hesitated, seemingly at a loss for words. Then he gathered himself and said, "Well, there's not much to tell. It's pretty much the exact opposite of what you said. If you're hatched to a poor family, no one really gives two hoots about you." 

Scarlet stared at him in incomprehension, not believing what she was hearing. 

"Most of the time everyone's too busy trying to earn a living to really pay much attention to dragonets like me underfoot," Crow explained, with a sardonic laugh. "I don't know, I guess it's just the way it is; dragonets have to learn their place along the way. Might even avoid getting kicked by the adults if we're fast enough about it." 

"But that's terrible," Scarlet said. Then an idea came to mind. "When I'm Queen, I'll change all of it." 

"Say what?" 

"You heard me," Scarlet told him. "I can't stand the thought of the Sky Kingdom being so cruel. When I'm Queen, all SkyWings will be treated fairly." 

"I'm sure they'd appreciate that," Crow remarked. "But do you really think it can be done?" 

"Of course! The Queen has absolute power in the Kingdom. All I have to do is pass a royal decree on it and everything will be fine." 

"Okay, if you're so sure about it," Crow conceded. "Say, wanna race back to the city?" 

"I'm sorry, what was that?" 

"A race? You mean you've never heard of it before?" Crow asked incredulously. 

Scarlet shook her head, feeling slightly embarrassed. Crow made it sound like the easiest thing in the world to understand. 

"Well it's a game where the goal is to get to the finish line faster than the others," he explained. "In this case, the finish line would be the city." 

"But I don't know the way to the city in the first place, I might get lost again along the way," Scarlet said. 

"It's okay, you could follow the road," Crow said reassuringly. "Merchants and traders from the other kingdoms and provinces use it all the time to get there." 

"If you're so sure," Scarlet said. 

"Alright, go!" 

Scarlet took a few moments to process that as Crow sped away. Then she realised what had just happened and leapt into the air after him. That had been rather unfair, she thought. She kept her eyes on the other dragonet. He was going all-out, pushing his wings to their limit. Not the best strategy, she thought. He'll tire himself out before long. That's when I can pass him. 

So instead of trying to overtake him, she aligned herself directly behind him, pacing herself. There was less air resistance behind Crow and so her slim, streamlined form had no problems cutting through the air like a blade. Crow, on the other hand, was getting tired. His wing beats were becoming irregular and he was panting audibly. 

When the walls of the city finally loomed within sight, Scarlet put on a burst of speed and soared around Crow. The other dragonet, having tired himself out in the early part of the race, didn't stand a chance. It was only a short distance but when Scarlet landed on the grass, she was panting heavily. 

"Thrilling," she said between her gasps for breath when Crow finally arrived. 

"Yeah, I know," Crow agreed, not even the slightest bit affected by the fact that he'd lost. 

"My etiquette teacher would skin me alive if she saw me like this," Scarlet remarked, wiping the sweat from her eyes. 

"A Princess must always display control and decorum at all times," she chided, imitating Flamingo's voice. "It is only befitting for a dragon of noble birth to-Scarlet stop clawing at the rug!" 

Crow burst out laughing. "Really? You did that?" 

"Yep." She chuckled as she recalled her first lesson with Flamingo. "I have no idea what came over me to make me think that hunting the rug was a good idea. Flamingo was apoplectic but I was just a few months old so I got away with it." 

"Lucky you," Crow said. "If I had done that at your age, the adults would probably have used me as a scratching post." 

"Well, I wouldn't let them," Scarlet declared. 

"Yeah, I know you wouldn't," Crow agreed, masking the doubt in his voice. "Come on, I'll show you the way back to the palace." 

The two dragonets headed in through the main gate. Crow led Scarlet through a few dark, winding alleyways. Something felt wrong. It was almost as if someone was following them. But each time Scarlet turned to glance behind her, there wouldn't be a soul in sight. 

Eventually, they arrived at a small, dilapidated tavern. "Why'd we want to go in there?" Scarlet asked. 

"It's a shortcut," Crow said. "Trust me." Something about his voice wasn't quite right. Was he nervous? 

She followed him in through the doorway, more confused than ever. There were a number of dragons inside, mainly SkyWings but she spotted a MudWing and an IceWing too among the crowd. What would they be doing here? 

Then she saw something that made her heart skip a beat. Sitting at one of the tables, chatting cordially with the very same dragons who had tried to kill her earlier, was her bodyguard, Roc! 

"Crow," she said, pulling at his arm nervously. "I think we'd better get out of here. Those dragons over there are the ones who were chasing me earlier!" 

His reply took her completely by surprise. "Oh them?" he asked as if nothing was wrong. "They're my friends. They're the ones who told me to come get you." 

"What?" 

"I'm sorry, Scarlet," Crow said. "I lied." 

"But why?" Scarlet felt tears of panic well up in her eyes. She had played right into their claws! How could Crow have done this to her? 

"I hope you won't think too unkindly of me for it. There really wasn't any other way to get you out of that burrow." 

Scarlet took a step back towards the door but it was too little, too late. 

A voice boomed from across the room. "There she is!" 

**Author's Note:**

**I'm so sorry for having to leave you guys on a cliffhanger like that. The idea of it was just irresistible! But now Scarlet finds herself cornered by the same murderers who were chasing her earlier. Betrayed by Crow and even her faithful bodyguard, Roc, who can she trust? How will she escape? Find out in the next thrilling chapter!  
**

**fluttermoon-yeah, it probably is. I temporarily ran out of names back there and was grasping at straws for a name for a miscellaneous bandit and Albatross happened to be unused in the story so far. Thanks for the review!**

 **MCZ-Thanks for all the support so far!**

 **Flaymeskywing-Thanks! And definitely! I'll do my best to insert OCs into the story. Just PM me their details and I'll find an opening for them:)**

 **glorybringer-Well, here's the update. Hope you were thrilled reading it!**

 **wingsoffirerules-Yeah, being busy is a real pain in the tail.**

 **kitty-She should be evil but right now I think Scarlet's got more things to worry about than her cousin. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	7. Chapter 6

**For Shimmer of Jade Mountain,  
who, many years ago,  
fist set foot,  
in a brave, new world...  
**

 **Chapter 6: Caracara  
**

She took a step back towards the door as the SkyWings closed in on her. Her mind was racing. There was no way she could fight her way out-the dragons easily outsized her. The ceiling of the tavern was low-flying out wasn't an option. Her best bet would be the door.

"Going somewhere, Your Highness?" a voice drawled from behind her.

She spun only to come snout to snout with a large scarred SkyWing. Before she could even open her mouth to respond, he wrapped a thick forearm around her, picking her up as if she weighed no more than a bundle of twigs.

She struggled and kicked as hard as she could but the large SkyWing held her firm. She tried screaming but none of the other dragons in the tavern seemed to take notice and her captor only grimaced in annoyance at the jarring noise.

They carried her down downstairs into what looked like a basement. There were tears streaming down her face now, panic getting to her as her captors descended into the gloom. What were they going to do to her? Was she ever going to see her parents again?

"Here she is," the SkyWing said, putting her down.

Scarlet found herself facing another SkyWing. She was lithe, almost serpentine, and of a rather slight build but the way she carried herself somehow made her seem more formidable than she should've otherwise been. Her blood-coloured crimson scales gave off a sinister air that sent shivers running up and down Scarlet's spine. Scarlet tried to make a run for it but found herself held tightly by two other SkyWings on either side of her.

"Oh do stop that, it's unbefitting of a Princess to cry in public," the SkyWing said, noticing her tears.

Her words stung Scarlet and she struggled ever harder to try and break free. But her captors were bigger and stronger than her and soon, she had exhausted most of her strength.

"Wow, Roc," the SkyWing remarked. "You've really outdone yourself this time-I don't remember any of your previous charges being this energetic."

The huge bodyguard, who stood in one corner of the room, just nodded mutely and looked on impassively, his face betraying no sign of what he was feeling or thinking.

"What do you want with me?" Scarlet blurted.

"Oh relax, Scarlet," the SkyWing said. "We're not going to hurt you."

"Wait, you're not?" Scarlet asked, dumbstruck by this.

"No we're not," the SkyWing said. "On the other talon, your parents might give you quite the telling off if they found out that you'd run away like this."

"You're not holding me for ransom or to threaten the Queen?"

"Nope. My, my, you have a rather vivid imagination. Most dragons your age wouldn't even consider the possibility."

"How can I trust you?" Scarlet persisted.

"You can't," the SkyWing smirked. "And that's half the fun!"

"Thrilling," Scarlet said though her tone conveyed otherwise.

"Oh come on, cheer up," the SkyWing chided. "You've just found out you're not going to die. You should sound more excited."

"I don't know if you're lying," Scarlet said.

"Do I really look that untrustworthy?" the SkyWing asked innocently. "Well if it's any comfort, Roc would've demolished this place and killed every dragon in it if any harm really was to come to you. Wouldn't you, Roc?"

The bodyguard nodded again. So he wasn't in cahoots with these dragons.

"But why?" Scarlet asked. "Why are you letting me go? I don't understand..."

The SkyWing laughed again. "Look Scarlet, you're cautious and that's a good thing. But consider that if I weren't to let you go and your family found out I was keeping you captive or worse, there's no place in the Sky Kingdom I'd be able to escape your mother's wrath. In other words, if I want my head to remain attached, I really have no choice in the matter. Besides, Roc would never let me get away with it, would you big guy?"

"Oh," Scarlet said, understanding dawning on her. The dragons on either side of her released her.

But then she remembered what she'd seen earlier. Pointing at the SkyWings she'd seen burying the body, she exclaimed, "There's something you need to know. Those dragons killed someone! I saw them burying the body!"

"You saw them?" the SkyWing asked, turning to face them with a hard glare. "My, my, you boys are getting careless. How many times have I told you to get off your lazy tails and check around when you're getting rid of evidence?"

"Sorry, boss," one of the dragons said seriously. "Won't happen again."

"What?" Scarlet was really confused now. What was going on? "You knew?"

"Knew? By the moons, I'm the one who told them to do it," the SkyWing said.

Scarlet took a step back fearfully. "But why?"

"Well I'm not sure myself-I don't make it a habit to stick my snout in my clients' business-but I suppose he ticked off the wrong dragons," the SkyWing replied. "Said dragons approach me to get rid of him and I have the job done by the next day. Simplicity itself!"

"What are you?" Scarlet asked, horrified at the prospect of this SkyWing who showed not even the slightest hint of discomfort at the fact that she had just killed someone.

The SkyWing seemed to take her rhetorical question the wrong way. "Why, my dear, I thought you'd never ask. The Queen of Thieves at your service," she said, with a grandiose bow. "The name's Caracara but most just call me Cara for short."

"Queen of Thieves?"

"Yep," Caracara replied, her smile never once faltering. "Though that title might just be a tinge misleading. I oversee a lot of other things too-highway robbery, assassinations, smuggling and the like."

"But why are you telling me this?" Scarlet asked, her curiosity getting the better of her fear. "Aren't you worried I'll tell my parents and you'll get arrested?"

"Not even in the slightest. I imagine your parents already know all about me and my rather unsavoury activities. And yet they haven't even raised so much as a talon to stop me."

"Why?"

"Full of questions aren't you, little one?" Caracara remarked, chuckling. "But that's the way to go; never take anything at face value-if something seems too good to be true, it probably is."

"But as for your question, suffice to say that, while I am a criminal, I never make trouble for the royal family," she continued. "And your mother knows that so she allows me some leeway. As long as I'm around, the Sky Kingdom underworld remains controllable."

Scarlet looked at her quizzically. That made no sense to her.

"It's in the interest of survival really," Caracara explained, inspecting her talons. "I don't bother them, they don't bother me. Besides, civil unrest isn't good for business. It makes SkyWings jumpy and wary SkyWings are more likely to keep an eye on their valuables. I'd rather let the royal family rule in peace and stability-makes things easier for my thieves. And personally I have nothing against your parents. Fine monarchs both of them."

"If not us, then who do you usually target?" Scarlet asked.

"The other noble families," Caracara said, counting off her talons. "The upper class, the rich, the occasional merchant."

"But that's terrible!" Scarlet cried. "Targeting them just because they're not in a position to retaliate!"

"Not really," Caracara countered. "I'm actually doing your mother a service. Assassinations, robberies, sabotage, they keep the other noble families too weak to challenge your mother. Trust me, left to themselves, they'd be hatching all sorts of schemes and plots to seize power. That's probably another reason your parents are willing to tolerate me."

Scarlet was stunned. She had always thought the other noble families were friendly enough. She'd never have suspected them of treason. But now Caracara mentioned it, it sounded credible enough.

"Besides, think of it as redistributing the wealth in our kingdom," Caracara said nonchalantly. "The rich are well-off and the poor barely have enough to live on. By letting my thieves keep what they earn-most of it anyway-I'm giving them a way to support their families."

"Oh," Scarlet said. "That's one way of looking at it."

Caracara gestured at Crow with a talon who seemed to be trying to make himself as small as possible. "Crow over there supports a whole gang of other orphans all by himself. He's the best pickpocket around."

Scarlet didn't know what to think of Crow now. He'd fooled her and manipulated her. She'd been so scared that she was going to die...

"Don't look at him like that, Scarlet," Caracara chided her. "He was just following instructions, that's all. He knew you weren't going to get hurt all along."

"He works for you too?"

"Yep. That's the beauty of organized crime," Caracara replied. "I've got dragons all over the place. Nothing happens without me knowing about it. Anyway, I believe you should be on your way. Your parents must be awfully worried about you by now. And do try to stay out of trouble from now on. Roc isn't as young as he used to be back in the day and chasing runaway Princesses might be rather taxing on him."

If Roc was affected in any way by her comments, he didn't show it. Instead, he greeted her politely and said, "Thank you for your assistance."

"Another one you owe me, big guy," Caracara called teasingly after him as he left with Scarlet. "And I'm keeping count!"

As soon as they had left the tavern, Roc spoke. "Now do you see why I always tell you to stay in the palace? What if it hadn't been Cara's dragons you'd run into? What would've happened to you then?" he asked, almost accusingly in his thunderous baritone.

Scarlet nodded meekly. "I'm sorry," she said. "I was just so tired of being cooped up in there."

Roc sighed. "I know it gets dull in the palace but at least it's a lot safer than out here."

"I'll never run away again," Scarlet said fervently. "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me."

"I'm just relieved it was Cara who found you and not someone else," Roc replied. "And I'm glad you've learnt your lesson."

"Thanks, Roc."

"Though I can't guarantee your parents will feel the same way."

Scarlet's heart almost stopped beating at that.

 **Author's Note:**

 **First of all and, most importantly, I'd like to wish a very close friend and fellow author, Empress Kitty (who also goes by the alias Shimmer of Jade Mountain), a very special and happy birthday. Kitty, if you're reading this, this one's for you:) Hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

 **Kitty actually suggested the name Caracara to me quite some time ago and I've been meaning to introduce her for a while now. As I might've said previously (not sure though), I will try my best to fit OCs into the story. And so another character joins the cast...**

 **Another thing, I'm currently halfway through my exams right now (don't quite know how I've managed to find the time to write this XD) In two weeks' time I should be back to updating more regularly so please bear with the slow rate of progress for the time being-it's only for a while longer. I'd like to say a big thank you to all my readers! Your continued support for my stories has really kept me going through this trying period.  
**

 **IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: Aside from that, I just want to issue a disclaimer. Criminals in the real world aren't as benevolent as I make Caracara and her SkyWings out to be. Crime is dangerous and often, in the end, doesn't pay dividends. So I ask that you do not go away thinking the best of it after reading this chapter. For the purposes of this story, SkyWing criminals are nice dragons (if you're the Crown Princess or her trusty bodyguard that is) but this does not reflect on criminals in the real world. Please stay well away from them and keep yourselves safe and careful!**

 **Now, to do some product placement:**

 **If you're a Wings of Fire fan or just love dragons in general and can't get enough of them, the Jade Mountain Academy forum wants you! Based on the institution run by the Dragonets of Destiny (calm down Scarlet) after the SandWing war, it currently enjoys the status of being one of the largest, most popular and fastest growing forum in the Wings of Fire fandom on Fanfiction as of now.  
**

 **Roleplaying, socializing with other fans, Jade Mountain has it all! It's even got a birthday celebration thread so I can give you a birthday shoutout and maybe dedicate a chapter to you too! So what are you waiting for? Feel free to head on down and sign up today!**

 **Lastly, I really hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and the small plot twist! Plenty more where those came from! Please leave reviews, I'd like to know where I can improve and do check out Jade Mountain Academy if you have the time! That's all from me for now! May your claws stay sharp and your fire burn bright (or ice if you're an IceWing... or venom if you're a RainWing... or even your shiny little bits if you're a SeaWing XD)**


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: History**

Scarlet was bored out of her mind that day. Wasp was talking her through the events of the Scorching-or at least the plentiful theories of dragon academics that were based on the few solid facts they had from that time period. And Shrike, being way ahead of their lessons, had been given permission to absent herself from the royal tutor's attentions and instead research topics of her interest in the palace library. This left Scarlet with nobody fun to talk to and feeling very, very un-thrilled.

"There are many speculations surrounding the Scorching. The most widely held view is that the dragons, realizing they stood a better chance of survival in numbers, banded together and crushed the major scavenger population centres. Thus came the beginning of this age-the age of tribes and Queens," Wasp said. "An even more curious theory is that an animus was involved in their defeat. But this view is widely ridiculed as a fairy tale for children by most intellectuals and experts."

"But scavengers are so small," Scarlet said, confused. "Why weren't the dragons able to defeat them before?"

"No one truly knows," Wasp explained. "Some postulate that the scavengers had advanced technologies that allowed them to rule the land. The more likely explanation is that the scavengers outnumbered the dragons of the time. Superior numbers can and have proven the deciding factor throughout the history of warfare. Perhaps that is why it is only when the dragons banded together into tribes that they were able to defeat the scavengers."

Wasp went on about the various theories of what may have happened during the Scorching and Scarlet had to make an effort to stay awake. I need to think of something or I'll be stuck here bored for the next hour, she thought.

For some reason, Caracara's words about the noble houses came floating back to her. 'Left to themselves, they'd be hatching all sorts of schemes and plots to seize power.'

"Wasp, could we take a break from the Scorching for a while?" she asked. "I wanted to ask about how the Sky Kingdom is run?"

Wasp seemed to perk up. Scarlet was actually taking an interest in matters of the intellectual? This was impressive progress indeed. Before today, Scarlet barely showed the faintest interest in any knowledge he tried to impart to her.

"Well to put it simply, the Sky Kingdom is governed by Queen Sparrow," Wasp said. "However, as she can't really keep an eye on everything herself, she only really handles matters directly in the capital. She has to rely on the other noble families to keep order in the other provinces."

"What are the noble families?" Scarlet asked. "What makes them different from regular SkyWings?"

"Well, society is divided into different social levels," Wasp explained. "At the top is the royal family. They are usually in charge of ruling the Kingdom and setting the general policy. Next come the nobles. The nobles are usually dragons who have been promoted by the Queen herself to positions of power and status. They're the wealthiest and most influential SkyWings behind the Queen and her family. They also have the right to challenge the Queen for the throne though, until recently, they refrained from such behaviour."

She shuddered at the mention of challenges. She absolutely hated the thought that, one day, she would have to challenge her mother for successorship of the SkyWing throne. She never wanted that day to come. She didn't even want to think of it. "Until recently?" Scarlet asked.

"Yes, recently your mother and the Queens before her have faced numerous challenges from the noble families. In the old days, the nobles avoided doing so out of gratitude to the Queen for promoting them but they've grown ambitious of late. There's no level they won't stoop to to gain power nowadays."

So that's what Caracara meant, Scarlet realised. I had no idea.

"They're law unto themselves now," Wasp explained. "They're so involved in their little games of politics and power play that they don't even bother to run their provinces properly. That's why the crime rate in the outlying provinces is so high now-they can't be bothered to crack down on it."

How ironic, thought Scarlet. It's that very crime that keeps them from challenging mother.

"Can't mother force them to behave?" Scarlet asked. "I mean, she's the Queen, she could replace them at least, couldn't she?"

Wasp shook his head. "Unfortunately no. While your mother is the Queen, her power is mainly symbolic. In the old days, Queens ruled with an iron claw. They used their armies to crush dissent and rebellion to their rule."

"That must've been terrible," Scarlet said. "What a horrible way of living."

"Indeed. It was a time of bloodshed and strife unlike anything seen since the Scorching. But, some Queens shared your sentiment and l later tried to rule by inspiring loyalty rather than fear," Wasp went on. "This led to the creation of the current system where challenges were used to settle disputes and successorship instead resorting to war. Instead of ruling all with an iron grip, those Queens appointed the noble families to help them rule the kingdom in a more benevolent manner."

"The noble families have grown in influence since. They have their own land, wealth and even private military forces that match your mother's army in size. All of it has got to their heads and inflated their egos to the point that they forget that they're still only just vassals of the Queen. They're bolder, less willing to listen to her orders and some of them even covet her position for themselves."

Perhaps the Queens of old had had the right idea, Scarlet thought. It must've been more stable with no one to challenge them.

"But onto a more pleasant subject, below the nobles are ordinary SkyWing citizens," Wasp said. "They're some of the most common of your mother's subjects. They make up the middle of the social order."

"At the very bottom of the hierarchy are the peasants. The peasants are the poorest of the poor. They barely make enough to live on. They own no property and need to rent land from the nobles in charge of the various provinces. Often their landlords charge exorbitant fees that they can't possibly pay off and they become indentured to the nobles-unpaid servants for the rest of their lives. It's a terrible thing really. It's no small wonder why so many of them turn to crime and banditry instead."

Scarlet was appalled. "Why hasn't anyone done anything about it?" she asked. "No SkyWing should ever be treated that way."

"It's gone on for so long that nobody really believes it can be changed. It's just the way things are," Wasp said. "It's almost as if they can't consider any possible alternative."

"Oh," Scarlet said simply. "That's unfortunate." But as Wasp continued talking about the past, her mind was focussed on the future, hard at work trying to formulate out a solution to the problem. Nothing came to her immediately but she was resolved to do something. After all, the Sky Kingdom was her home and the SkyWings were her people. If anyone could do something about it, it would be her.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey guys, sorry you had to wait so long for the chapter! I've lately been afflicted by jetlag after a really long flight and I haven't been able to get down to writing properly until today. So I'll be trying to make up for lost time now that I'm able to write again.**

 **This chapter was meant to explain the workings of the Sky Kingdom as Scarlet saw it. It's a feudalistic society where the noble families vie for power and stability isn't guaranteed. It isn't the same as the Sky Kingdom seen in the books and I plan to explain why this is so later.**

 **Meanwhile, hope you guys enjoyed it! Will be trying to post more frequently from here on out! Please leave reviews and tell me what you thought! May your claws stay sharp and your fire burn bright!**


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Kestrel**

The sun had barely risen over the horizon as Scarlet hurriedly made her way down to the arena. Normally, the arena served as the venue for disputes over various matters to be resolved by right of challenge. But challenges were the last thing on Scarlet's mind today. For today, the arena served another role.

Scarlet's parents had recently decided that she was old enough to learn how to defend herself. They had initially assigned Roc to teach her basic self-defence and close quarters combat. However, Scarlet saw this as a golden opportunity to get to know the other dragonets who had signed up in her mother's army and so had asked her parents whether she could learn alongside them instead. But she hadn't thought her request through completely and, on hindsight, it sounded childish and naïve.

In fact, it probably would never have worked if Roc hadn't been there to back her up. He had managed to convince Scarlet's parents, saying that he wasn't "the best teacher in the world" and that he "would really not know where to start with Scarlet". In the end, her parents had relented and given their permission to allow Scarlet to train alongside the other recruits on the condition that Roc was there to watch and ensure her safety at all times.

Curious and sensing there might've been more to it than Roc's assertion that he was simply a bad teacher, Scarlet had asked the bodyguard why he'd supported her decision when it would've been easier just to go along with what her parents wanted.

"You've got the right idea," Roc had said to her. "By training alongside the recruits, you'll win their admiration and, by extension, their loyalty by showing them that you're working as hard as them even though you don't actually have to. It's wise to build a strong base of loyal supporters from the recruits who will one day be your soldiers. Genuine admiration is often much stronger than the promise of payment alone."

Scarlet honestly hadn't looked at it that way before. To her, it was just a way of getting to know some dragonets of her age besides her cousin. But what Roc said made sense and just made her feel more at ease that it was the right course of action to take.

Right now, she hurried down to the training grounds in the arena where the recruits were assembling. Roc had no problems keeping pace with her, his eyes ever alert and scanning all around for any signs of trouble.

When she got there eventually, she found the dragonets already sparring with each other. The supervising officer, a Sergeant by the looks of the armband he wore, oversaw the fighting dragonets. He caught sight of her and bowed his head formally as was the practice in the presence of royalty. The dragonets quickly stopped what they were doing and followed his example.

"At ease," Scarlet told them, the stock military phrases feeling foreign as she spoke them. "As you were."

The dragonets went back to their sparring matches and the Sergeant approached her.

"Your Highness," he greeted. "I hadn't been informed you would be arriving to inspect the troops."

"Not to inspect them," Scarlet told him. "Actually I wanted to join in. My parents feel the need for me to learn how to defend myself. And where better to start than here? After all, isn't this where the best soldiers of the Sky Kingdom are trained?"

The Sergeant looked surprised at the compliment. "Of course, Your Highness," he said with glowing pride. "Certainly. It's just that with your bodyguard, I wouldn't have believed you would have any need of battle training."

"Well there may be times at which my bodyguard may be indisposed," Scarlet said. "I'd rather not be completely defenceless at times like those."

"Very well, Your Highness," the Sergeant said. "When would you like to start?"

"Right now actually," she said. "I'm here now so I might as well make the most of it."

The Sergeant turned to the recruits and spoke. "Heads up, you lot!" he announced. "Her Royal Highness, Princess Scarlet, will now be joining us for training. I expect you to treat her with respect. Do you understand, recruits?"

"Yes sir!" the recruits shouted back in unison. Scarlet felt slightly intimidated by their ferocity. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all…

"Very good," the Sergeant barked. "Now back to work." He called out to one pair of dragonets. "Kestrel, Dove," he said. "Get your tail ends over here!"

The two dragonets hurried over. One of them was well-built and had rusty-looking scales and piercing yellow eyes. The other was smaller and clad in a coat of bright amber scales. The latter walked with a slight limp in her left foreleg.

"Dove, because of your injury I'll let you sit this one out," the Sergeant said. "Kestrel, you'll now be sparring with the Princess here." Oh well, thought Scarlet. No turning back now.

Kestrel looked even more nervous than Scarlet felt. "Uhh, sir," Kestrel said haltingly. "I'm not sure if I-"

"Are you questioning your orders, Kestrel?" There was a threatening note in the Sergeant's tone.

"No sir," Kestrel replied immediately.

"Good," the Sergeant said with a note of finality. To Scarlet, he said, "I hope you find this useful. If you require anything, anything at all, just let me know and I'll see that it's done."

"Much appreciated, Sergeant," Scarlet said. "Come on, Kestrel. Let's get going."

A pained look crossed over Kestrel's features as she followed Scarlet, almost as if she was considering what she had done to deserve this fate.

Scarlet caught sight of Kestrel's chagrined look and asked, "What's wrong?"

Kestrel immediately tried to mask it with an uneasy smile and replied, "Nothing."

"Come on, Kestrel," Scarlet said. "Something's troubling you and I want to know what it is."

"It's nothing, really." Kestrel sounded almost pleading now.

"Fine," Scarlet said. Kestrel relaxed just a little. "Looks like we'll have to do this the hard way." Kestrel's face fell. I almost feel bad for getting her hopes up, Scarlet thought. Almost. But not quite.

"I'm giving you a royal command to tell me what's bugging you," Scarlet said.

Kestrel sighed. "I'm scared of you actually. I'm afraid that if I'm too rough you'll get mad and you might call the guards on me."

Does she really think I'm that soft? Or petulant for that matter, Scarlet wondered.

"Well don't worry," Scarlet said. "I came here to learn, not to be coddled and treated like a delicate tapestry. Be as rough as you like."

"Really?" Kestrel asked incredulously. "I thought you royals were completely against getting your claws dirty?"

"What? No!" Scarlet exclaimed. "I'm all for the fighting and roughhousing."

"Within sensible limits of course," Scarlet added with a slight chuckle. "No maiming or permanent injury. But otherwise don't hold back."

Kestrel nodded. "No problems there. You ready?"

Scarlet gave a claws-up. "Let's go a round."

Kestrel dropped into a low crouch. Scarlet had no prior experience and so she mimicked Kestrel's position. All of a sudden, Kestrel pounced at her like some kind of great hunting cat. Scarlet was taken by surprise and yelped and leapt away before Kestrel could get to her.

Kestrel lashed her tail at Scarlet, giving her no time to recover, and Scarlet tripped and fell face-first in the sand. Kestrel looked apprehensive but Scarlet laughed and said, "That was awesome. I've never felt a rush like that in my life!"

Kestrel's face broke into an uneasy but relieved smile. "You need a break or do you wanna go again?"

"Let's keep going," Scarlet said, her determination undiminished by her earlier defeat.

The two dragonets managed five more bouts before they both fell over, laughing and tired to the bone. Kestrel had dominated most of their battles easily with Scarlet winning the last one mainly because Kestrel was running out of steam by then.

They sat and watched the other recruits. Some of them were resting like them, others were still hammering away at each other and a few of them were watching Scarlet with undisguised curiosity. Scarlet for her part simply tried to ignore their stares and distract herself with conversation.

"Where'd you learn to fight like that?" Scarlet inquired.

"Well, here actually," Kestrel said, still panting. "I've been sparring with the other recruits since we first signed up a month ago so I guess I've gotten used to it."

"So why'd you join the army?" Scarlet asked Kestrel.

"My parents served as soldiers," Kestrel replied. "I've always wanted to follow in their footsteps and so here I am. Why'd you come here?"

"To be honest with you, I just wanted to get to know other dragonets my age," Scarlet said. "Growing up as the Crown Princess is awful lonely."

"Really?" Kestrel asked. "I thought that, being the Queen's daughter, you'd have every whim of yours seen to in an instant?"

"No offence," she added, after considering how blunt she sounded.

"None taken," Scarlet said jovially. "That's what everyone seems to think. It's not really like that-I've got classes to attend and the dragons I talk to can't really be called friends. That's why I came here; to find friends who aren't adults or somehow related to me in some way. Like you."

"I'm honoured," Kestrel said, sounding genuinely sincere.

Scarlet burst out laughing and Kestrel gave her a quizzical look. "Was it something I said?"

"No, not really," Scarlet said when the gales had subsided. "It's just so awkward hearing that from another dragonet."

Kestrel chuckled. "I suppose it is kind of odd."

They kept watching the other recruits sparring. They were all quite evenly matched. But there was one exception.

Scarlet gestured at one pair of dragonets. "Have you noticed how the maroon one keeps losing to the ruby-red one? He must've lost seven times in a row now!"

"Oh, that's Falcon," Kestrel said dismissively. "He's infatuated with Garnet, his opponent, since day one. He's probably too busy trying to woo her to concentrate on winning."

"He's got to realise that there's no way Garnet will be impressed with him if he keeps losing like that," Scarlet said.

"I don't think he's even considering that now. Boys can be so short-sighted sometimes."

"You'd know more about that than I would."

"Not really. I haven't found a guy who's caught my interest yet."

"Not yet. I bet it'll happen sometime. We're growing adolescent SkyWings after all. Full of hormones and whimsical thoughts as the adults would put it."

They both laughed at that.

"Anyway, I'm feeling rested. Shall we go again?" Scarlet asked.

"Sure!"

By the end of battle training, they were both exhausted and covered in sweat and grime. But Scarlet had never felt so alive in her life! And so, when Kestrel had asked her whether she'd be turning up for future battle sessions, her immediate reply had been a yes. As she and Roc headed back to the palace, Scarlet couldn't help but feel that, despite her parents' initial reservations and her apprehension about the whole matter, she'd made the right call after all.

 **Author's Note:**

 **And so a familiar face joins the cast at last! Kestrel, later one of the minders of the dragonets of destiny, has arrived. The friendship between her and Scarlet is off to a promising start which begs the question; what could possibly have happened to Scarlet to make her turn on one of her earliest, most steadfast friends? I'll leave it nebulous on that for now XD**

 **Those of you who follow my other story, Wings of Sky, might recognize Falcon and Garnet too. They're actually the OCs of my friend, Kitty, and they will be playing a larger role in the story to come too.**

 **So tell me how you found the chapter! Reviews and feedback are much appreciated! I'm dreadfully sorry that I've been updating so slowly… Recent times have been… difficult to say the least and things don't look set to improve for a while to come. But enough of that. I want to know how you found the chapter and the story so far! Well, that's all for now! May your claws stay sharp and your fire burn bright!**


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: Raven**

Something was different that day. It had started out normally enough; Scarlet had headed down to the arena to join the other SkyWing dragonets for battle training as she usually did on weekday mornings. But that's where all familiarity went right out the window.

As she approached the arena, she noticed an awful lot of dragons flying all around it-a rather strange sight since battle training wasn't exactly the most thrilling thing in the world to spectate-but she gave it little thought. When she'd arrived, she had found the recruits milling about and seemingly confused. The Sergeant wasn't anywhere in sight. But there was a new face; an amber scaled dragonet who seemed to be addressing the others.

"What's going on?" Scarlet asked no one in particular. "Is everything alright?"

The amber-scaled dragonet turned to face Scarlet and she was slightly taken aback when he scowled at her. Nobody had ever scowled at her before.

"I'm sorry," she said, trying to put as much sarcasm into her words as possible. "But did I do something wrong?"

"No," the amber-scaled dragonet said, his voice clearly conveying his irritation. "I was just telling your friends here to clear out."

"Clear out?" asked one of the recruits. "For what? We're training here."

"Well I'm not sure what your superiors told you," the amber dragonet snapped. "But the arena's already being used for something else." "Even a deaf dragon should have realized that by now," he added snidely.

There were clearly a lot of dragons filling the stands now but that last remark was completely uncalled for. Scarlet stepped up to the dragonet and growled, "Hey, I don't know who you think you are or what your problem is but that was an honest question. No need to beat someone down."

"No need to beat someone down," the amber-scaled dragonet mused, his eyes far away for a moment. Then, as soon as it had left, his glare returned. "Yeah, I wish it were that simple. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got more important things to attend to." Managing to make the last point as deliberately insulting as possible, he spread his wings and left.

"Jerk!" Scarlet called after him, determined to get the last word in.

The Sergeant arrived within moments. "Alright you lot, change of plans," he said, landing lightly. "I've been given instructions to get you to the stands. That includes you, Your Highness. Battle training's been cancelled today."

There were mixed reactions at that announcement. Some dragonets were relieved, others voiced their disappointment. Scarlet and Kestrel were among the latter group. Reluctantly, they followed the Sergeant and the rest of the dragonets to a vacant section of the stands.

"Who in three moons was that guy anyway?" Scarlet asked, tucking in her wings and sitting down. "And what's going on? Why'd battle training get cancelled last-minute?"

"No clue," Kestrel said, settling into a seat beside her. "On both counts. But it must be something pretty big given the crowd."

Out of the corner of her eye, Scarlet absently noticed Falcon ostensibly offering his seat to Garnet. Garnet rolled her eyes and went over to join Kestrel and her. Falcon sighed melodramatically and sat down, conceding defeat. For now.

"Boys," Garnet sighed. "They just don't know when you don't want to be bugged."

"Ignoring him won't help, you know. He's not going to stop till he gets a response from you," Kestrel remarked.

"And since when did you become the Sky Kingdom's leading authority on male antics?" Garnet accused. "I'm sorry to have missed such a momentous event."

"Oh, come on, Garnet," Scarlet said laughingly. "Kestrel's got a point and you know it. Just tell him whether or not you're interested. Either way this stops being a chore for you. Though I'd encourage the former-he's kind of sweet, if a little blunt."

"A little blunt? He's got all the subtlety of sledgehammer. Besides, I don't know the answer to that question myself. I need time to think. And he's not being very obliging about it."

Scarlet didn't know why Garnet was so fussed. Most of the time, Garnet was pretty outgoing around her and Kestrel. But when it came to Falcon, she seemed so socially-awkward. But then she wasn't going to judge. After all, no dragon had tried to approach her as of yet, no doubt because she was royalty and was expected to marry a dragon of noble birth at the appointed time, so she probably had no idea what she was talking about. It seemed a thrilling consideration though. Just one of the other perks of being normal, Scarlet mused.

A shadow passed over her accompanied by a beating of wings and she glanced up. Raptor, her brother, landed beside her. "Ho, there, little sister!" he said, his face lighting up in a grin.

Kestrel and Garnet immediately recognized his ornate armour as that of a squadron commander, for indeed he was one of the army's youngest, most distinguished commanding officers, and were about to salute them but he waved them off and said, "At ease, guys. I'm not big on formality to be honest."

"I thought I'd find you here," he told Scarlet.

"What gave that away?"

Raptor jabbed a talon at the imposing figure of Roc. The bodyguard was seated not far from her, eyeballing the crowd around her carefully. He seemed relaxed but Scarlet knew him well enough to figure that he probably had about six different exit strategies to get her out of harm's way formulated and that he was ready to spring into action at any moment things seemed like turning ugly.

"Kind of hard to miss him, don't you think?" Raptor asked. "And he's never far from you."

"I guess so," Scarlet said absently, still wondering about what was going on. "I don't suppose you know what's happening?"

"I so happen to have been informed this morning," Raptor said. "Mother was called upon to mediate a dispute between two of the governors of the outlying provinces earlier. One of them didn't quite agree with her judgement so he called for a challenge."

Scarlet nearly choked when she heard that. "He's going to fight Mom?!" she cried when she managed to catch her breath. "I'm gonna go down there myself and kick him in the soft spot till he sees sense."

"Easy there, Scar," Raptor said. "He's not fighting Mother. That's not how most challenges work. Otherwise the Queen and the nobles wouldn't be able to rule in stability cause they'd be constantly caught up in these little duels of honour that come up every time some self-important SkyWing feels insulted."

"Their champions will be the ones fighting," Raptor explained. "Champions usually fight in most challenges, save those for the throne." Scarlet winced at that. "And don't worry, it's not a fight to the death either," Raptor added. "Just until one dragon submits and concedes defeat."

"I see."

Just then, a SkyWing stepped out into the centre of the arena. He puffed up his chest, taking in a deep breath before declaring in a sonorous voice, "Friends! SkyWings! Countrymen! In accordance with SkyWing tradition, we are here to bear witness to a duel of honour between the Champions of our Queen and Lord Caique. Without further ado, may I invite the combatants to step into the ring!"

The arena went wild as a mid-sized bright red dragon stepped forward. "Representing Lord Caique is veteran arena fighter, Avocet, with an impressive total of seven victories on his record!" the announcer's voice boomed.

"Is seven a lot?" Kestrel asked Raptor from the corner of her mouth.

Raptor nodded, clapping respectfully. "It's a good track record I suppose," he said with a shrug.

"You suppose?"

"You'll see."

The red dragon, Avocet, bowed and waved at the crowd in the stands which only encouraged louder applause. But Scarlet's attention wasn't on the wildly gesticulating Champion but on another dragon who'd entered the ring quietly, almost unnoticed by all but her. It was the amber dragon from just now. What was he doing down there? Surely not… He couldn't possibly be…

But any doubt she might have had vanished instantly at the announcer's next exclamation.

"Representing Queen Sparrow," the announcer bellowed. "We have the dragonet, Raven!"

"Raven," Scarlet echoed. Then she realized what this meant and buried her face in her claws saying, "I don't even want to watch this. He's going to get flattened! Why didn't they pick someone else to represent Mother?"

"Wait for it," Raptor said enigmatically, wearing a knowing smile.

"-with a total of seventeen victories to his name!" the announcer's voice thundered.

Scarlet's head came up immediately. Had he really said seventeen?! Surely she must've been hearing things.

But one glance at Kestrel and Garnet told her that she'd heard it right. Even now, both of her friends were gaping at the amber dragonet, Raven, in complete disbelief.

Unlike before, the applause died. Instead, there was a collective hiss from the gathered SkyWings, a gesture of profound respect. Scarlet had only seen SkyWings show such reverence to the Queen!

And unlike his opponent, Raven didn't wave or bow. In fact, he didn't give any indication that he noticed the crowd at all. He just stood there, as still as a statue, his eyes locked on his opponent as if he hated him with every fibre of his being.

The two dragons faced each other.

"Never send a dragonet to do an adult's job," Avocet said with a smirk.

Raven didn't reply, simply electing to glare straight ahead.

"Claws up, fire ready! FIGHT!" the announcer boomed. And they were off.

"Avocet's got a point. What's a dragonet doing as the Queen's Champion?" Garnet asked, breathlessly watching the fight.

"Raven's reasons are… complicated," answered Raptor. "It all dates back years ago. His mother was the Queen's Champion at the time and he was just a hatchling. According to what I've heard, she was one of the best duelists around. But one day, one of the governors, Griffin, got greedy and started taking over land from the other governors." He spat the name Griffin with such distaste that Scarlet was actually taken aback.

"They tried to stop him through the usual challenge system; if they won, he'd back off and if they lost, he'd get to keep the land, but his Champion, a brute named Buzzard, was virtually unbeatable. Every time a champion got into the ring with that animal, he'd end up being carried out on a stretcher."

"It got to the point where the governors were thinking of abandoning the challenge system and going to outright war. To stop war from breaking out, our mother intervened. Her Champion, Raven's mother, managed to force Buzzard into conceding. Everyone was happy. Griffin would be forced to give back all the land he'd annexed."

"But Buzzard just couldn't take it. Unable to beat her in a straight up fight, he cravenly struck down Raven's mother from behind even after he had officially conceded the match. He later claimed that he never intended to kill. But that's what happened. Buzzard got off scot free. Griffin outwardly promised that Buzzard would be punished but, like everything with that coward, it was all lies. Raven was just a kid then, watching his mother die, it changed him, like something in him just snapped."

"He spent his early years training exclusively in close quarters combat. He took his mother's place as the Queen's Champion by single-handedly defeating all the other contenders for the position. And that was when he was three. Now he's looking for any reason to get back at Buzzard. He's abided by arena rules and regulations for now but if he comes to face Buzzard, who knows what he'd do. Everyone thinks it's the biggest grudge match in the Sky Kingdom."

Now Scarlet understood why he'd seemed so cold, so angry all the time. And now that she did, she felt terrible for calling him a jerk. She'd had no idea…

"Poor Raven," Scarlet lamented.

"Yeah," Raptor agreed. "He's been alone most of his life. But he's tough. And he's good."

They returned their attention to the ring. Avocet was on the offensive, forcing Raven to back up against a wall by sheer brute force. Avocet had a gleam in his eyes. Perhaps he would be the one to finally put down this dragonet? What glory would be his then! The simple thought of it made him smirk even before his victory had been won.

Scarlet watched Raven carefully. This couldn't be it. He was up to something. He had to be. And he was.

Raven swept his tail in a wide arc, kicking up a great cloud of sand and dust. Avocet lunged for his now-obscured prey but Raven was too quick. With a single beat of his wings, he propelled himself skyward. Using the momentum, he dug his claws into the side of the arena wall and ran vertically up its length for a short distance.

Then, as Avocet was thrashing around blindly in the dust below him, Raven pushed off from the wall, angling his wings behind him to streamline himself. Raven ploughed into Avocet's back claws-first and drove his larger opponent into the ground.

Pinned, it was all Avocet could do to defend himself as Raven began his onslaught. Raven rained mace-like blows with his claws and tail forcing Avocet to try and scramble away to get some room to maneuver. But Raven wouldn't let him get away so easily. Raven loosed a vicious-looking kick at Avocet's elbow, buckling it and causing his opponent to collapse.

By now Avocet's face had taken up an expression of terror. How had this dragon so easily reversed his fortunes? No, not even a dragon but a dragonet! How was this happening?

Raven battered aside Avocet's claws with contempt and pressed his talons to Avocet's throat. Scarlet watched Raven carefully. The look in his eyes made her pale in the realization of the possibility that he might not even be bothered if he killed this dragon.

"Yield," Raven said in a voice devoid of all emotion. He applied more pressure on Avocet's throat for emphasis, making him choke and sputter.

"I yield, I yield!" Avocet gasped and Raven let go. Avocet scrambled away from the dragonet as fast as possible. But the crowd's attention was on Raven. He said nothing and his eyes betrayed even less. He simply glanced over the crowd, sketched a small bow, turned and flew up to a small cave in the nearby cliffs, disappearing into its shadowy depths.

For a while, the crowd was silent. Then, one by one, dragons began leaving the stands. The outcome was decided; they'd won. But why then did Scarlet find herself feeling so empty?

 **Later that night…**

Scarlet landed at the cave entrance she'd seen Raven disappear into. She stepped quietly, tentatively. She'd been sure she'd wanted to do this but now she was beginning to have her doubts. Did she really know what she was doing?

She shook her head, trying to clear it. She was doing this because when she eventually became Queen, Raven would likely be her champion and she'd rather have him on her side. But there was more to it. Deep down, beneath her fear of the dragonet, she was also sympathetic. She squared her shoulders and stepped in before her second thoughts and niggling doubts could derail her again.

The inside of the cave was dimly lit. The light was coming from up ahead in the form of a small crackling fire on the cave floor. Outlined in the glow of the flames was a dragonet's silhouette.

Raven was seated with his back to the entrance and he looked as though he was sleeping. Scarlet approached him and tapped his shoulder gently so as not to startle him. But that wasn't how it all played out.

Raven's eyes flew open and he whirled around with the speed of a hurricane. Scarlet stumbled backwards, startled by him instead. He dropped into a low crouch just as he'd done in the arena earlier.

Scarlet backed away and exclaimed, "Whoa, calm down! I'm not here for a fight."

Raven squinted at her, studying her face carefully. Then he straightened up until he stood half a head taller than her. Glaring down at her, he said, "If you value your life, you'll never sneak up on me like that again." "Your Highness," he added, as if noticing who Scarlet was for the first time.

"Do you usually attack dragons who try to wake you up?" Scarlet accused, a hint of her old anger coming back.

"I mistook you for an intruder," Raven said flatly. "Nobody ever comes here so I assumed the worst. For that matter, why are you here?"

Scarlet sighed. Time to swallow her pride. "Look," she said. "I just came to apologise for what I said earlier. I was angry that you were being so rude to my friends when you told them that the arena was being used. That was before I found out what you've been through. So I'm sorry for calling you a jerk." She added, "And I'm really sorry about your loss."

Raven looked away at the mention of his 'loss'. He gazed into the fire, his thoughts lost in its depths. He didn't say anything for a while. Scarlet got the feeling he was ignoring her deliberately.

"Well I guess I'm not wanted here," she said, just a little ruefully. "I'll be going then." She turned and headed back the way she came. Well that was a disappointment, she thought. At least that's off my conscience.

"Wait." The word stopped her cold.

"Yeah?" she asked, turning back to face Raven.

"Thank you," he said. "But you should know that I really didn't hold it against you."

"I've spent so long on my own that other dragons' opinions don't really affect me anymore," Raven explained. "I know what I am and I know that I'm trying to do the right thing. That's the only thing that's mattered to me for a long time."

"Raven, I'm sorry," Scarlet said. Her heart really went out to him. "I can't imagine what you've had to go through all this while."

"It's alright," Raven told her with a shrug. "I never really expect anyone to understand. I'm used to it all by now." Scarlet realized that now that she looked closer, his face didn't seem to be set in a glare. Rather, he wore a sad, tired expression, like somebody who'd lived through all the disappointments life had in store. It was strange to see a dragonet look so old, so worn out.

"My life as long as I can remember has been about fighting. I've never been around other dragonets-I don't know how to talk to anyone without coming across as confrontational. So I'm sorry that I made you angry this morning. I really didn't mean to. My mind was on the fight ahead, not so much on my manners."

An awkward silence settled. Scarlet was the first to break it. "So where'd you learn to fight like that?" Then she realized how insensitive she might've sounded.

"My mother taught me some of what she knew before she passed on," Raven said, as if it didn't bother him the slightest. He noticed Scarlet tense up and told her, "It's okay. I've learnt to live with the pain, to separate it, contain it. I just focus on how I'm going to avenge her one day. That takes the thoughts away, at least for a while."

"I've never really had company down here before," Raven continued. "I always convinced myself that I didn't need anyone-that nobody was worth talking to. But you interest me. You're the first dragonet who's ever dared approach me."

"Well I felt bad for what I said before I found out about what happened to you," Scarlet said. "Any decent dragonet would've apologized."

"But not all dragonets would've had the courage to be able to swallow their pride," Raven said. That made her feel better about herself. Had he really just complimented her? It sounded strange coming from him.

She was startled by the crack of thunder. They both glanced at the cave entrance. A torrential downpour had seemingly come out of nowhere. Rain was coming down in sheets that swept across the arena like inverted tidal waves and lightning streaked through the skies in random, jagged lines.

"I'd better get back to the palace," Scarlet said. "Before the storm gets too bad to fly in."

"I'll follow," Raven said. "That is, if you don't mind. I just want to see you get back safely."

"You sure it's not cause you feel just the slightest bit lonely?" Scarlet asked teasingly.

"Perhaps it is."

"Well, let's go then," Scarlet said.

They took flight together. The rain was making it hard to fly, constantly pelting Scarlet's wings and blurring her vision as it streaked down her horns and into her eyes. She blinked the rainwater away. Just a few more wingbeats to the palace.

Then she realized she couldn't feel the rain anymore. She glanced up to see Raven flying right above her, blocking the rain with his wings.

Raven saw her looking and explained, "Only one of us needs to get drenched. I can stand a few raindrops."

Scarlet rolled left in midair and beat her wings twice, positioning herself just above Raven. "And you're saying I can't?" she accused.

"Besides," she said. "You'll have to fly back in the rain. You're not catching a cold on my account."

A bemused look on his face, Raven flew on and didn't argue with her. Eventually, they arrived at her window which she had thankfully left open and she clambered in. She shook herself dry and glanced up at Raven.

"You sure you don't want to come in?" she asked. "It's a lot drier in here."

"I'll dry off back in my cave," Raven told her. "Have a good night." He actually tried to smile.

"Yeah, you too," she replied. "And you smile terribly. It looks like you're trying to scare someone."

"I haven't found reason to be happy in years. I'm out of practice. Maybe you could teach me how to do it properly next time."

With that, Raven turned back. Strangely, Scarlet found herself staring after him, watching as his amber outline finally vanished into the night and the rain. Next time? He seemed sure that they would meet again. Well, Scarlet thought. He wasn't wrong.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey guys, I'm really sorry that updates have been coming as slowly as they have. I've recently enlisted in my country's compulsory military service and so I've had very little time to write since the start of the year. I seek your understanding about all this and hope you'll bear with me through this period.**

 **But I want to thank you for keeping with the story and reading on up till this point. You guys have been great and your constant support has helped me through some of my toughest moments. I definitely intend to complete this story as well as all my others as well and I'll be working to try to put up new chapters regularly no matter what comes up.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this one-it's a bit longer than usual and we've seen the introduction of a new character (as well as Scarlet's feelings about him). So please do tell me what you thought of the newest addition to our cast, Raven?**

 **I intended for this chapter to explore the reason for the role of Champions. In the Dragonet Prophecy, Peril was introduced as the Queen's Champion but the role wasn't really elaborated on so I tried to expand on it here.**

 **But I guess you could say the moral of this chapter could be not to judge a book by its cover (or a dragonet by the way he scowls at you for that matter) XD Thanks again for reading and bearing with me. May your claws stay sharp and your fire burn brightly! :)**


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Regicide**

Scarlet tumbled to the side, dodging a hastily-aimed claw strike. Retaliation came swiftly and her tail slammed into her attacker's jaw, sending him sprawling, dazed. Her two other attackers circled her warily, trying to surround her. But she wasn't giving them the chance.

She ran right into one of them, barging into him with her shoulder. He quickly leapt to one side and Scarlet went right past him. His friend tried to claw at her from behind but, with a beat of her wings, she propelled herself into the air and out of reach. She whipped around and dove down onto the dragon, knocking the wind out of him. She followed up by delivering a sharp smack to the side of the dragon's skull, sending him tumbling to the ground.

Her last attacker wasted no time and pounced on her with the grace and power of a hunting cat. He forced her down to the leaf-strewn ground, pinning her claws and snapping at her face with his jaws. Scarlet braced her hind leg against his midsection and with a powerful heave, kicked him off of her. As the dragon tried to scramble back to his feet, she struck him across the temple, knocking him senseless.

Panting, she paused for a moment to catch her breath. She couldn't keep this up forever. They just seemed to keep coming. So far, including the most recent three, she'd been attacked by eight dragonets from the other team. How in three moons did they keep finding her? Was she really that bad at being stealthy?

Today, instead of their standard training routine, the SkyWing dragonets were in one of the Sky Kingdom's densest forests, taking part in a 'war game' exercise called Regicide. Designed to simulate an actual battle, it involved two teams each with their own 'Queen'. The objective of the game was to defeat the opposing team's Queen.

And so, because she was the Crown Princess, when the dragonets had split into two teams her team had unanimously elected her as their Queen much to her disappointment. Queens were unlikely to see any action as they were instead expected to hide and try to remain undetected for the duration of the game. But Scarlet had no intention of remaining idle.

Instead, as the sounds of fighting erupted all throughout the forest, she had decided to sneak off on her own and actively hunt down the opposing team's Queen herself. It was such a radical idea that it would be the last thing they'd expect, she reasoned. But so far, it didn't seem to be working judging by the number of dragonets she'd run into so far.

Either they were having some unexpectedly good luck or she was phenomenally bad at being sneaky. Maybe she should find a hiding spot and lay low for the rest of the game. That way, she wouldn't endanger her team's chances of winning. She knew it was selfish of her but she didn't like the idea all the same. She threw her head back in exasperation. And that was when she saw it.

Circling in the skies high above her like some kind of scavenger bird was none other than her faithful bodyguard, Roc. It would've taken a miracle for anyone to have missed the massive dragon. Scarlet realized that Roc must've unintentionally led her pursuers straight to her.

Frantically, she waved to Roc not risking flying up to talk to him in case somebody spotted her. Roc was by her side in an instant.

"Trouble, Your Highness?" Roc asked, his voice like a low rumble of thunder.

"Something like that, Roc," she said. "You're not going to like to hear this but I need to ask you to fly to the other end of the forest and pretend I'm there instead."

Roc looked alarmed. "Your Highness, why would you want me to do that?"

"You're attracting the entire enemy team," Scarlet told him. "But if you patrol a different area, you might throw them off my trail."

Roc shook his head. "I'm sorry, Your Highness. But I'm afraid your safety is of a higher priority to me than your victory in this exercise. Besides, isn't such trickery just a little low for you?"

"I'm just trying to think out of the box, Roc," she said, disappointed.

"How about this," Roc suggested. "I'll continue to follow you but I'll do so on foot. That way they won't be able to find you as easily."

"Kind of hard to miss a dragon like you," Scarlet remarked. "No offence."

"None taken, Your Highness," Roc said. "I try to be as prominent as possible to deter would-be assassins. However, I can be stealthy if and when I want to be."

"We'll see," Scarlet said just a little dubiously.

"Indeed, Your Highness. Lead on."

Scarlet moved with speed through the forest. She was mildly surprised to see that Roc indeed lived up to his assertion. The bodyguard seemed to disappear in the undergrowth and though she did still catch sight of his bulk now and then, she suspected he was doing it deliberately to remind her that he was there if she needed him.

The plan was working. Eight minutes passed without a single dragon finding her. The forest was quiet now. The sounds of fighting had died down, no doubt as many of the combatants were taken out of commission by injuries sustained in the earlier skirmishes.

Then, Scarlet spotted her quarry. A small, orange dragonet, Dove, was nestled in a tree, her wings tucked in to minimise her outline and her form obscured by mud and foliage. On any other dragon it might've worked but on a SkyWing the colour contrast was just too obvious.

Scarlet crept up on Dove who was scanning the forest frantically from her perch. Scarlet positioned herself so she was right behind the tree. Then she made her approach.

Careful to step around the brittle twigs and fallen branches that littered the forest floor, she made no noise as she closed in on her prey. Then, she pounced and knocked the dragon out cold with a quick blow to the head. The SkyWing went limp instantly and Scarlet had to catch her to keep her from falling from the tree.

Poor Dove, Scarlet thought. She'd been made the other team's Queen because she was the smallest of them all and her teammates believed she couldn't contribute much to the fight. But they were wrong. Scarlet knew that whatever she lacked in stature, Dove made up for it in spirit. Even now she could've gotten back at her team by not bothering with the exercise and letting Scarlet's team find her. Instead she had done her best to camouflage herself and hide so that the dragons who had forsaken her could win.

"I'm so sorry, Dove," Scarlet whispered, not caring that the unconscious SkyWing couldn't hear her. Inside, her emotions were in turmoil. Did victory in a game really mean so much to her that she attacked this defenceless dragonet?

It might be a game but it's preparation for real-life. In a war, it'll be her or me. Victory at any cost, she thought, trying to convince herself that it'd been the right thing to do. But still she was conflicted. Sighing, she shoved the thoughts and doubts to one side, deciding to deal with them later.

She hoisted Dove's small frame over her own shoulders and half-carried her, heading for the predetermined rendezvous point where she could meet the others. Just then, a rustle in the bushes startled her. She tried to look closer but couldn't see anything through the dense undergrowth.

"Who's there?" Scarlet demanded, slightly spooked. "Roc? Is that you?"

But there was no reply.

A chill ran down her spine. Where was Roc? Usually, he'd be right at her side the moment she called for him. This wasn't like him at all.

Scarlet lay Dove down gently and crept closer towards the bushes. Her entire body was tense, ready for anything. She flexed her claws and stared harder into the undergrowth.

Suddenly, a claw came down on her shoulder, causing her to jump and scream in alarm. She wheeled around to come face to face with none other than Kestrel.

Kestrel was laughing hard. "Wow, Scarlet," she joked. "I think you went at least two octaves up there."

"Kestrel!" Scarlet shrieked, not knowing whether to be angry or relieved. "That's not funny! I really thought I heard someone up ahead!"

Kestrel frowned. "Up ahead? That can't be right. I was creeping behind you the whole time."

"But if you were behind me, then who could've been making those noises?"

Suddenly, there was another rustle in the bushes and both dragonets froze.

"Falcon? Garnet?" Scarlet called out. "Please tell me that's you guys."

But it wasn't. Instead, a black dragon lunged out of the bushes, claws extended at Scarlet. This was no dragonet. It was a fully grown adult NightWing!

Scarlet and Kestrel both screamed and leapt back in stark terror as the dark shape arced towards them. But then Roc was there and he swatted the black dragon out of the air as if it weighed no more than a scavenger.

The black dragon scrambled to its feet but Roc was already bearing down on it, raining sledgehammer-like blows down on the NightWing. It tried to distance itself from Roc but to no avail, the bodyguard was giving it no room to maneuver. Finally, with a cry of anguish, the black dragon bit down hard on something in its mouth and stiffened. The NightWing fell back, dead and cold as a log.

"Poison," Roc spat after looking the would-be assassin over. "The coward realized the fight was lost and poisoned himself to escape capture."

Now that Scarlet got a better look at him, she realized it wasn't a NightWing at all! It was a SkyWing clad in midnight-black cloths and robes to obscure its fiery-red scales.

"Are you alright, Your Highness?" Roc asked.

"Yeah, I think so," Scarlet said. "Just spooked that's all."

"I am relieved. I had feared I had been too late. By the looks of things, somebody's ordered your assassination," Roc said gravely.

"Wait, we don't know that," Scarlet said, not wanting to believe it. "This guy could just be one maddragon working on his own. How do we know anyone else is involved?"

But what Roc said next confirmed her fears. "I wish that were the case," he said. "But I am afraid not." He walked over to a nearby clearing and yanked out the bodies of two more black-clad SkyWings.

Scarlet realized why Roc hadn't answered her earlier. He had been dealing with these other two assassins! The reality of the situation sunk in. Somebody wanted her dead. And these dragons had been the ones who'd been tasked with the deed. Fear began to set in.

She had come so close to dying. Had Roc not been there, it might have actually worked. It was a chilling thought. Who could she trust? What had she done that somebody would want her dead?

"Why?" Scarlet asked, feeling hollow. "Why would someone do this?"

Kestrel put a reassuring claw on her shoulder. "We'll get to the bottom of that later. Right now, we need to get you back to the palace where you'll be safe behind sturdy walls and guarded gates."

Scarlet nodded, still shellshocked by the close brush with death. A game of Regicide had almost led to an actual regicide.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey guys! What is going on? I am officially back and will be updating regularly from now on! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! I know I especially enjoyed the double meanings of the title and I hope you liked that too!**

 **This marks the beginning of where the story begins to get a little darker. Here, Scarlet experiences the reality of the assassinations that plague the politics of the Sky Kingdom, something that has no doubt left her scarred and will likely shape the dragon she'll become in future. Also, I touched briefly on the concept of Scarlet's morality after she defeated Dove with relative ease. I intend for this to show that Scarlet is not totally without a conscience. She is more pragmatic than heartless. Whether this holds true later on is something that remains to be seen.**

 **So tell me how you found the chapter! Who do you think sent the assassins? I will admit I attempted to add in some cheap scares too so tell me whether it was hair-raising enough! Thanks for all the support so far and see you soon with the next chapter!**

 **Jayfeatheris Awesome-I'm glad to know that people out there understand XDXD**

 **Charizard9000-We all have our personal opinions but perhaps next time could you refrain from posting spoilers? It's highly inconsiderate as some people haven't exactly read Escaping Peril yet, you know? Oh and your English could use some work. There's no need for had in your sentence.**

 **winterandperil-interesting ship! And glad to hear that!:)**

 **MoonwatcherSecretkeeper-Hey, glad to be of help:D**

 **MCZ-Thanks:D Will be making a special dedication to you soon;)**

 **The Pyrrhian Emperor-Thank you for the compliment!**


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Fears**

Scarlet flinched at the sound of knocking on the saferoom's door, the memories of her near-miss still all too fresh in her mind for comfort. She saw Roc's body tense as he stepped between her and the door and he lowered slightly as he prepared to lunge at any would-be attackers.

But it was no attacker. Instead, Scarlet's mother stepped through the doorway and into the windowless chamber, Scarlet's cousin, Shrike, right behind. Her mother's face was drawn and her eyes were lined with worry. Roc relaxed slightly and stepped to one side to give the Queen and her daughter some space and his vigilant gaze fell again on the door as Shrike closed it behind her.

Before Scarlet could say anything, Sparrow drew her close and hugged her tightly.

"Scarlet," she said. "I'm so sorry I didn't come to look in on you sooner. How're you feeling?"

"I'm fine, mum," Scarlet lied, hoping that would put her clearly anxious mother at ease even just a little. Shrike stood off to one side so as not to get between the two of them. But she did give Scarlet a discreet wave and an encouraging smile. Scarlet beamed back at her.

"And don't worry I understand entirely," Scarlet continued. "If the guards hadn't needed you to handhold them throughout the lockdown I'm sure you would've come sooner." She grinned, trying to appear more confident than she felt. "I don't think they've ever seen you so mad before."

Sparrow laughed mirthlessly, loosening her grip on her daughter. In the hours after the attempted assassination, Sparrow had ordered the guards to heighten security around the palace and initiate a citywide lockdown-no dragon was to enter or leave-and to conduct searches on anyone suspected to have links to the would-be killers. The problem was that the guards had done such a haphazard job that she had had to assume command herself and direct the search personally.

"Yes, I suppose they haven't," she said. "The search didn't turn up anything. My advisors are quick to brush this off and attribute it to disgruntled peasants and homicidal psychopaths but I'm loath to assume that this was just an isolated incident."

"You think there's more to it?" Scarlet asked. 

"Just a suspicion right now," Sparrow told her. "For one, the attackers' bodies couldn't be identified. Whoever they are, they're not from the city. And they came prepared. We found a nearby camp in the forest that they'd used prior to the ambush. I'd be inclined to believe that there's more to this than meets the eye. It's why I've brought your cousin here for safeguarding. In light of what we've uncovered, there's reason to believe there's a larger conspiracy afoot."

"Well, all that didn't help them much against Roc," Scarlet chuckled. "They must've thought I'd be unaccompanied and unguarded. What an unpleasant surprise that must've been."

"Indeed," Sparrow agreed. "And I am, as ever, eternally indebted to Roc for his services." Roc simply inclined his head respectfully, all the while gazing warily at the door.

"But it raises a new question," Sparrow continued. "They knew you'd be in the forest that night. They knew you would be involved in the war game with the others and therefore thought it likely that you would not be guarded. Somehow they knew and that's been a cause for concern."

"Well I don't think it was that hard for them to have found out about the Regicide game," Scarlet said. "After all, everyone was told to keep out of the forest that night for that very reason. And it's not like I keep my involvement in the army a secret. Any SkyWing with sense could probably piece it together."

"Perhaps you're right," Sparrow said slowly. "Perhaps I'm just swatting at shadows." But there was no conviction in her words.

Scarlet fell silent. Deep down she had been hoping it was just random happenstance, an isolated attempt on her life that had no connection to anything else. That way everything could go back to normal. But nothing could truly ever be so there was reason to believe there was a larger conspiracy afoot.

"There is, however, somebody who should be able to shed some light on the matter," Sparrow continued. "She should be arriving anytime now."

As if on cue, there was a knock at the door, startling the already-jumpy Scarlet. Roc went to the door and cautiously swung it open, deliberately placing himself between the doorway and the Queen and her daughter.

Scarlet's apprehension soon drained away, replaced by curiosity as she saw Roc relax. Then, Caracara stepped through the doorway. Scarlet's eyes narrowed as she caught sight of Crow trailing along close behind her. The deception he'd played on her was long in the past but seeing him made her remember it as vividly as if it had just happened.

Cara smiled slightly and playfully brushed her wing tip against Roc's as she swept past the towering bodyguard. Coming before Scarlet and her mother, Cara genuflected reverently and greeted them, "Your Majesty, Your Highness, it's good to know you're both well."

"That depends on what your definition of 'well' is, old friend," Sparrow said sardonically. "My only daughter was nearly murdered, my guards have proved incredibly inept in handling even the most basic of operations and this may all be part of some larger plot I don't know about."

"But Scarlet's still alive, right?" Cara laughed. "I'd say that's already something to be thankful for. As for any conspiracy theories you might harbor, rest assured that my informants are all looking into it as we speak. So far only one of them has managed to turn up anything and so I've brought him with me to tell you what he's found. Crow, if you would be so kind?"

The dragonet stepped forward, bowing to Scarlet and Sparrow. "For starters, as you might've guessed, the three assassins weren't from the city," he said seriously. "A few of the thieves spotted them coming in a week ago with an arriving merchant caravan. They departed four days later, supposedly back to whichever province they came from, but we think they might've gone to setup their ambush in the forest instead."

"Any idea who they were?" Sparrow asked.

Crow nodded. "That's where it gets interesting. Apparently, they're military personnel. They tried to pass off as merchants but they were rather inept at it and one of the dragons watching them overheard some slips of tongue. From what he managed to pick up, one of them was a Sergeant."

"At first he thought it little surprise because they might've been former military dragons-many guards hired as security forces for merchant caravans often are. But recent events now cast a different light on it," Crow continued. "On Cara's orders, I've been working with the other thieves to conduct thorough background checks on all the other visitors in the city. They're all clean so I don't think you, Princess Scarlet or anyone else is in immediate danger as of now."

"Thank you, Crow," Sparrow said.

"I don't suppose there's any reward for this information, is there?" Crow inquired meekly.

"You've got the gratitude of your Queen," Sparrow replied slyly. "We can discuss the prospect of material reward further when you discover anything more substantial. Names, for instance, would be good."

"Well, I had to try," Crow said in a pained voice. "But fair enough. I'll see what I can dig up." To Scarlet he said, "I hope you weren't too badly shaken, Your Highness. Rest assured I won't stop till the plotters are first rendered penniless and then brought to justice."

"Thanks, Crow," Scarlet said, chuckling. "I can imagine it."

"Indeed," Sparrow agreed. "You've trained him well, Cara."

Cara laughed. "Certainly. Wouldn't want anything less from the dragon I'm grooming to be my successor."

"Thinking of retirement already?" Sparrow asked.

"I'm considering it," Cara answered. "No solid plans yet but I've amassed enough riches to live the rest of my life in relative comfort."

"If only we could all be so fortunate," Sparrow said absently.

"You could be," Cara offered. "Just hand over the crown and all responsibilities to your daughter and officiate it with some document or something. Be the first Queen to retire peacefully."

"That's not how it works."

Scarlet slumped as she was painfully reminded of the fact that she would have to face her mother in ritual combat to succeed her as Queen of the Sky Kingdom. When the Queen became too old and tired to rule, it was the duty of her successor to challenge and slay her in the Arena and take her place upon the throne. It was something she wished never to do.

But it was a SkyWing tradition, as her mother had told her before, a rite of passage that certified that the new SkyWing Queen was strong and capable of making the hard decisions that would no doubt be a part of her rule. Without it, the noble families and the other Queens wouldn't accept the authority of the new Queen.

Sparrow must've noticed her because she gently wrapped a wing around Scarlet's drooping shoulders and pulled her close.

"Don't worry, Scarlet," her mother told her. "I don't begrudge you for what you have to do."

"But I don't want to," Scarlet murmured plaintively. "I don't want you to die."

"I know, I know," Sparrow said soothingly. "But sometimes we must all fly through the storms life puts in our way. But take heart. You'll find the strength when the time comes."

"I don't want to," Scarlet repeated numbly. "I never want to…"

"Just don't think about it," Sparrow said comfortingly. She sighed. "What has this world come to?" she lamented. "You're so young and already someone's tried to kill you. So young and already you worry so far into the future."

"It's not all that bad," Cara piped up. "She's learning early. Better to be prepared now than to regret later. Forewarned is forearmed."

"I know," Sparrow replied. "But I just wish she didn't have to grow up so quickly. The trials of the world can be taxing on one so young. I was initially planning to bring her with me on the upcoming trip to visit Queen Oasis in the Sand Kingdom-to teach her more about being Queen. But in light of all this, I think I'd rather let her enjoy the company of her friends here, let her live her childhood to the fullest. Three moons know she's earned some rest." 

There was general assent from the dragons in the room. Surprisingly, it was Scarlet who voiced her objection. 

"No," she said firmly. "I'll come with you. Cara's right; it's better I learn now rather than later. I'm not going to let myself be cowed by those assassins." 

Sparrow smiled, glad that her daughter had made this choice willingly. She had feared for Scarlet-that she would refuse the burden of rulership. But it looked like her daughter was stronger than that, braver and more determined than she'd ever realised. 

But, deep down, Scarlet knew her words projected more confidence than she actually felt. Rulership, being Queen, the SkyWing throne-those meant nothing to her but a deep, aching fear-the fear of knowing what she'd have to do someday. No, she wanted to learn more, not because she wanted to be Queen, but because she sought a way to change a future that seemed set in stone. 

**Author's Note:**

 **Hey guys! Thanks for waiting as long as you did! I apologise that I took so long! Army's been way too busy over the past months… You wouldn't believe the number of things that fly your way once you've shown that you're reliable… And the number of things I still have waiting for me Oh well, duty calls eh?**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter! I took the opportunity to explore some of the various characters' fears here; Scarlet's apprehension in the aftermath of the assassination and her anxiety about having to challenge her mother one day, Sparrow's worry that Scarlet, her only daughter and the Crown Princess, wouldn't be up to the task of taking the throne in the future.**

 **And so Sparrow has clearly expressed her willingness to step aside and allow her daughter to take the throne without much of a fight. So how, any onlooker might ask, did Scarlet turn from such a filial, loving dragoness into something so horrible and twisted in her adult years? Well, said onlooker might want to keep guessing cause I'm not dropping any hints soon, except the story may soon take a turn down a darker path…**

 **But for now you can all look forward to their scheduled diplomatic visit to the Sand Kingdom where we'll see some familiar faces and perhaps one unfamiliar one; Queen Oasis for the second time (the first time she was featured was in the Brightest Night prologue)alive and kicking! Hope you enjoyed it! And may your claws stay sharp and your fire burn bright!:)**


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Travelling**

The days leading up to the trip to the Sand Kingdom went by in a blur for Scarlet. The palace was a hive of activity, abuzz with a small army of functionaries coming and going as they received their instructions from the Queen. Scarlet's mother explained to her the importance of leaving specific directions to her subordinates so that things in the capital could continue to run more or less smoothly even while they were away.

Scarlet opted to sit in with her mother as she delegated tasks and responsibilities to wave after wave of courtiers in the throne room, trying to learn whatever she could from watching the Queen in action. Despite her best efforts, it was becoming increasingly difficult to commit each and every new face to memory on top of what each SkyWing was supposed to do in the Queen's absence.

By evening, she was thoroughly exhausted. _Not a very good sign given how I was only listening in on everything rather than doing any planning_ , she thought to herself as she stepped into her bedroom. She was once again confronted by the hard reality that she had a lot to learn before she was going to be able to make an acceptable Queen.

But even as discouragement set in, she thought back to the list of things she sought to change; the plight of the peasants, the perpetual plotting of the noble families and, most important of all, the Sky Kingdom's awful system of succession.

If that's what it takes to fix this Kingdom, then it's what I'll do it, no matter how daunting the task ahead of me seems, she resolved. She'd told herself that over and over again whenever she felt her newfound determination waning in the face of fresh challenges. Giving up wasn't an option any SkyWing worth her wings would ever be willing to consider and she was no exception to that rule.

Scarlet quickly went through her mental checklist of all the things she'd need for the trip and made sure they were securely stowed in the small, sturdy satchel she'd prepared earlier in the day. Her mind finally at ease, she crawled into bed and closed her eyes.

 **The next day…**

The wind whistled in Scarlet's ears as she sliced through the clear skies like an arrow. After spending most of her week first cooped up in the safe room and then in the palace, it felt unbelievably liberating to be back in the air again. Her elation was so all-consuming that she didn't even mind not being allowed to wander off on her own.

Flying on either side of her were her parents, her brother, Raptor, and her cousin, Shrike, and all around them was a protective ring of about a dozen SkyWing soldiers, all from Raptor's own squadron. Roc trailed behind the main group, a literal eye in the sky, ready to alert everyone at the first sign of danger.

The SkyWing delegation had set off at first light and, at the rate they were going, were set to reach their shared border with the Sand Kingdom by dusk. The trip to Queen Oasis' palace from there would be another few hours at least but, on the bright side, it would be made much more bearable by the vastly cooler desert night.

Scarlet, for her part, was rather excited to see the desert. She had fond memories of playing by the beachside with Raptor from a few years back and, by the sound of things, the Sand Kingdom would be just like it; albeit with no sea and far more sand.

Not that she minded that at all; she treasured the recollection of warm sand trickling from between her claws far more than her first poorly-informed attempt to drink seawater. Part of her still wondered how the SeaWings managed to put up with the taste of the stuff.

Deciding it was time to entertain herself a bit, she beat her wings for some additional altitude and barrel-rolled to her right so she was flying directly above Shrike. Her cousin, noticing the shadow that had suddenly fallen over her, spared a curious glance and Scarlet waved down at her merrily.

"What's _up_?" she called down to her cousin, chuckling at her own joke.

"That was… officially… the worst joke… in the history of… dragonkind," Shrike panted.

"In the history of the Sky Kingdom, perhaps," Scarlet admitted. "But in the history of dragonkind? I think that's still up in the _air_."

Shrike sighed and rolled her eyes, electing not to dignify that one with an actual response.

"Aww, come on Shrike, lighten up already," Scarlet complained. "You're taking the _wind_ out of my sails."

"I have no breath and I must scream," Shrike groaned, shaking her head.

"You've gotta admit that last one was rather awful," Raptor chimed in, though the bemused grin on his face said otherwise. "I think Shrike's endured enough _pun_ ishment for one flight." They both chortled at that.

"Any more of this… after we land… I'll punch you both in the snout…" Shrike said in between heaving breaths.

Raptor and Scarlet exchanged a quick glance and then they both cracked up. Shrike shot accusing glances at both siblings.

"What do you two find so funny about that?" she demanded.

"You said _pun_ ch!" Scarlet said.

"So what if I-" Shrike's voice broke off mid-sentence. "Oh for three moons' sake, you two are insufferable. I refuse to speak to either of you till we land."

"Well that's a bit of a _downer_ ," Scarlet snorted, jabbing a claw downwards. She paused, "Okay, I'm willing to admit that one in particular was rather lame."

"You really think so?" Shrike asked sarcastically.

"And what happened to no talking?" Scarlet shot back, smirking. Shrike sighed exasperatedly and went back to concentrating on the flight.

"You're ruthless, Scar," Raptor said with a chuckle. "I'm almost scared about what kind of Queen you'll turn out to be."

Scarlet hesitated, momentarily thrown off. She quickly hid her uncertainty with a forced grin. "Yeah, me too," she said offhandedly, hoping it sounded sufficiently light.

 _Time for a change in subject_ , Scarlet thought as she sensed an awkward silence brewing on the horizon.

"So how far have you got with that dragoness from Stratus Squadron?" she asked her brother as casually as she could manage.

Right on cue, Raptor gasped and sputtered in genuine shock.

"What?!" he managed to stammer after he regained his composure. "What dragoness?" he asked again, forcing his voice back under control.

"Oh I don't know," Scarlet teased absently. "I think I might have heard the name Kite being thrown around here and there."

Raptor looked alarmed. "Alright, you got me, Scar. Now how did you find out about this?" he asked, shooting a conspiratorial glance towards their parents and cousin.

"You'll be surprised at the information I get from Kestrel and Garnet," Scarlet chuckled, remembering the first time she and her friends had laughed about it together. "The way I hear it, the story's been circulated through the ranks so much that you two are practically the SkyWing army's most famous love story."

Her brother blanched. "You can't be serious," he said, a look of horror dawning on his face. "You cannot be serious."

"Oh I am deadly serious. But more importantly, are there any dragonets on the way?" Scarlet asked. "I'd like to know if I have any nieces and nephews to look forward to!"

Raptor stared at her uncomprehendingly, at a complete loss for words.

"I'll take it that your silence means I'm going to have a sister-in-law soon!" Scarlet chimed. "Thrilling! I can't wait to break the news to Mom and Dad!" That last part snapped Raptor out of his shock.

"No on all three counts, Scarlet," he told her. "Firstly, I've only been seeing her for a couple of weeks, why in the moons would we be thinking of having dragonets now? And she is not going to be your sister-in-law anytime soon so don't get ahead of yourself. And thirdly; there's a reason I've been trying to see her in secret and that's because I don't want Mom and Dad to freak out like they did last time!"

Scarlet chuckled. The last time Raptor had nursed a crush on a dragoness had been about two years ago. But then he'd made the fatal mistake of letting it slip to their parents. They'd asked Scarlet to go play in the palace courtyard while they took her brother aside for an 'adult conversation'. It hadn't stopped Scarlet from trying to eavesdrop on the whole thing though and, if not for Roc's insistence, she might've pulled it off.

When Raptor returned from the talk with their parents, he'd declared he was no longer crushing on anybody. Whatever he had gone through back then, he evidently didn't want to repeat it.

"For that matter, I don't even know how anybody could have found out about it," Raptor complained. "I was so sure that I had been careful."

"Yeah, you're right; I'm just messing with you," Scarlet finally admitted, a wide grin plastered over her snout. "It's just so thrilling to watch you freak out the way you did!"

Raptor shot her a suspicious stare. "So the entire SkyWing army doesn't know about it?" he inquired carefully.

Scarlet shook her head. "Nope!"

"So who does?"

"Well, so far, just me, Kestrel, Garnet and possibly Falcon if they told him," Scarlet chuckled. "Though that last one's highly unlikely. But don't worry they can keep a secret." _At least I hope they can_ , she thought to herself. "I mean it wasn't that hard to piece together honestly," she continued.

"You were coming home unusually late for the past few weeks so I figured something was up. I decided to track you down one night and lo behold; the cutest couple in the Sky Kingdom!" Scarlet crowed. "You're not the only one who knows how to be sneaky."

"Wait a second," Raptor said slowly, realization dawning on him. "Roc's never supposed to let you out of his sight. If you were there that night then where was he?"

He spared a glance over his shoulder at the hulking bodyguard. The massive SkyWing, somehow managing to keep a perfectly straight face, winked.

"This just keeps getting better and better," Raptor groaned.

"Oh cheer up, Raptor," Scarlet chortled. "You've still got Kite, don't you? I want to know everything couples like you two do together when nobody's looking! It must be absolutely thrilling!"

"This is going to be a horribly long flight, isn't it?" Raptor sighed.

"It will indeed, big brother," Scarlet laughed. "But at least it'll be entertaining enough for one of us!"

And as they effortlessly cut through the cloudless skies, Scarlet couldn't help but feel completely at peace for the first time in a long while. _Forget assassination attempts and politics and the fear of ever becoming Queen_ , she thought. This is what she lived for; a clear, open sky to soar through freely with a loving family right at her wingtips. What more could a SkyWing possibly ask for?

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey guys! I am so sincerely sorry that I haven't updated this story in such a long while! My schedule's been really very hectic but I've finally decided that's not going to get between me and writing any more. I'll be updating my stories at a much more frequent pace from now on (trying for at least one chapter weekly!)**

 **But in the meantime, I really hope you enjoyed the chapter! I don't know if I've ever said this (or whether I've said it enough for that matter!) but I love writing about Scarlet! She's such a complex character with so much opportunity for exploration but, at the same time, somehow manages to be capable of beautiful simplicity too.**

 **I tried to explore the latter theme in this chapter in the form of casual, mid-flight banter with Shrike and Raptor. My apologies that I didn't go straight onto their arrival in the Sand Kingdom (and the introduction of Queen Oasis and her daughters-they'll make an appearance in the next chapter, that's a promise! Burn, please don't look at me like that, you'll get your turn, I promise, and patience is a virtue! XD) but I felt this was an opportunity I could not miss to fit in a bit of Scarlet's interaction with her family.**

 **That and because the earlier chapters had some rather dark undertones to them-this is my way of counterbalancing the foreboding and grimdarkness in the story while it's still possible! XD But all the same, I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! Please do let me know what you think! XD**

 **Finally, a warm thank you to all my readers, past, present and future and I look forward to bringing you the next chapter soon!;)**


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: Reception**

Nightfall in the desert, Scarlet decided, was officially one of the most beautiful things she'd ever seen in her life. The dark skies seemed to enfold everything above the horizon like some kind of impossibly vast curtain.

Scarlet thought back to the times she had gazed at the skies after sunset from the safety of the palace walls. They had always seemed crowded and busy from where she'd stood, with dense formations of dark clouds drifting with the wind and the numerous flights of guards on patrol.

The desert skies were nothing like that by contrast. There were no clouds out here and no other dragons either and the night air was calm and tranquil. In their place, a seemingly-endless host of tiny lights lay scattered across the vast expanse.

But somehow, despite their number, the gently glinting stars only managed to make the night sky seem even more immense and peaceful. Compared to Scarlet's nights in the Sky Kingdom, this was a whole new experience.

"Scarlet?"

Her mother's voice drew her wandering attention back to the situation at hand and her gaze fell instantly upon the resplendent palace that loomed ahead of them. Impressively-designed towers and parapets stood proud and aloof from the desert sands and artfully-wrought statues gazed down regally at the arriving SkyWing delegation from their perches all around.

Several SandWing soldiers in burnished black armour waited in complete stillness and silence as they approached, lining either side of the palace gate. At their head was perhaps the largest dragon Scarlet had ever seen; a towering, regal SandWing who somehow managed to look even more imposing than Roc. Two other smaller dragons flanked her on either side.

"That's Queen Oasis," Sparrow told her. "The two by her side are her daughters. The taller one on her right is Burn and the one on her left is Blister."

"Blister?!" Scarlet said incredulously, stifling a laugh. "What kind of a name is that?"

"Scarlet, don't be unkind," her mother chided. "I'm sure it's a perfectly normal name to have in the Sand Kingdom. I hope you remember your lessons with Flamingo?"

Scarlet sighed inwardly. Flamingo was the SkyWing who tutored her in etiquette and behaviour and who constantly insisted that she never acted sufficiently regal or cultured. Even her history tutor, Wasp, wasn't as demanding a teacher. Then again, Wasp was very nice as far as teachers were concerned.

"Yep," Scarlet replied, thinking back to her mental checklist. "Proper titles, modes of address, be polite, smile at all times and don't do anything to embarrass myself. Got it."

"You sound nervous," her mother noticed, a hint of concern in her voice.

Scarlet met her mother's eyes. "I guess I am a little skittish," she admitted. "But I asked to come along, didn't I? If I don't start learning from you now, I might never get another chance like this."

Sparrow beamed at Scarlet. She was so glad her daughter had come to that conclusion on her own. She marveled at how far her little dragonet had come. Slightly less than a week ago, she would never have imagined such wisdom from her daughter.

But, since then, Scarlet been through so much. She had survived a vicious attempt on her life, faced her fears of taking the throne one day and had even volunteered to come along on this visit when given the option of staying in the comfort and safety of the Sky Kingdom. Deep down, Sparrow was overflowing with pride for her daughter who was turning out to be everything she'd ever hoped for and more.

Still, some part of her missed the reckless and carefree dragonet that her daughter once was. _If only you didn't have to grow up so quickly_ , Sparrow lamented. How she wished Scarlet could live a normal life, untroubled by all the burdens that came with being the Crown-Princess of the Sky Kingdom.

But, alas, this was the way it had to be. _At least the SkyWings will be in good talons after I'm gone_ , she told herself. _Scarlet might even make a better Queen than me. I just wish I could be around to glimpse it._

And so, with those bittersweet thoughts, Queen Sparrow willed herself back to the present moment.

Striding forwards past the assembled ranks of SandWings, she extended a claw of greeting to Queen Oasis.

"It's good to see you and your family in good health, Your Majesty," she said warmly.

Standing beside of the SandWing Queen, Burn gave no indication that she'd heard any of what was being said, instead looking around sporadically and fidgeting restlessly. Blister, on the other talon, was far better-behaved and smiled pleasantly, even bowing slightly. Scarlet immediately found herself admiring the younger SandWing sister's composure. She felt rather abashed for having laughed at her unfortunate naming earlier.

"And you too, Your Majesty," Queen Oasis replied, grasping her claw firmly. "And I'm glad your daughter is well enough to accompany you here in spite of everything that's happened recently."

Right on cue, Scarlet spoke up. "My deepest gratitude for your concern, Your Majesty." Her voice sounded smaller than it usually was and the formalities seemed awkward, almost alien to her tongue, as she spoke them.

Scarlet forced herself to mirror Blister's smile in spite of her nervousness and her mother shot her a sideways wink. She felt a bloom of confidence inside her. Her mother thought she was doing decently so far. That was a good sign.

But then she caught glimpse of something rather unusual out of the corner of her eye. To Scarlet's complete amazement, Burn reared back her head and yawned mightily, looking terribly bored by all the niceties being exchanged.

 _She didn't even cover her mouth_ , Scarlet thought with a mixture of alarm and mild aversion. _And Flamingo thought I was bad_.

If either of the Queens noticed this at all, they gave it no acknowledgement. Instead Queen Oasis gave Scarlet an amused glance. "She's learning quickly from you," the SandWing Queen observed.

Queen Sparrow laughed. "That she is. Someday she'll make a fine Queen."

"I don't doubt that for a second, Your Majesty," The SandWing Queen agreed. "Now I think we've all spent long enough in the frigid cold of the night air and you've all had a long tiring flight. Shall we adjourn to the relative comfort of my palace?"

Sparrow nodded. "Lead the way, Your Majesty."

The huge SandWing turned to start towards the palace but before she could take a step, Burn spoke up.

"That's all of the formalities done, right?" Burn asked her mother. "So can I go hunting now? I really need some action to liven things up."

Scarlet was shocked at her brazenness. Burn flew in the face of everything she'd been taught in the area of manners and proper conduct. If her etiquette tutor had been here to observe the uncouth SandWing princess, she would have gone into an apoplectic fit by now.

Just out of Burn's field of vision, Blister shook her head disapprovingly, almost as if she echoed Scarlet's unspoken sentiment. She found herself wondering why in the moons the younger SandWing princess was so much more mature than her ill-mannered sister.

To Scarlet's surprise, Queen Oasis nodded. "Alright, Burn. But don't stray too far from the palace and don't stay out past dawn."

"Thanks, mom," Burn said, spreading her wings and lashing her barbed tail eagerly. "I'll be back before you know it!"

Then, to Scarlet's horror, the SandWing trotted over to her. "You wanna come along too?" Burn asked, punching lightly her in the shoulder. "I could use some company."

"I... erm... well, you see..." Scarlet struggled to find a suitably polite and valid excuse that would allow her to escape the undoubtedly unpleasant and thoroughly unwanted company of this rough, boorish SandWing.

"It's okay, Scarlet," her mother told her. "Go have some fun with Burn."

Through her dismay, part of her wanted to protest and say that going off with Burn was most definitely not going to be even remotely 'fun'. But she hardly wanted to appear as rude as Burn especially in front of all the assembled SandWings and SkyWings.

Scarlet nodded and turned to Burn, feeling ill deep inside. "Alright, lead the way," she told the SandWing princess. Burn's grinned and took flight. "Try to keep up!" she called over her shoulder.

Indignantly, Scarlet leaped into the air behind her. Telling a SkyWing of all dragons to keep up? Who in the moons did Burn think she was? She easily caught up to the SandWing within the space of a few wing beats.

As she whizzed like an arrow through the desert skies alongside Burn, it dawned on her that it was going to be a very long night indeed.

 **Meanwhile...**

Shrike watched her cousin go with a mixture of pity and amusement. _Poor Scarlet_ , she thought. _Always in the wrong place at the wrong time_. She spotted Roc, that ever-faithful bodyguard, taking off in pursuit of the two dragons and following them from a goodly distance behind.

Queen Sparrow and Queen Oasis were already making their way towards the palace and Shrike quickly followed after her aunt. Someone fell into step beside her; the SandWing dragonet with the black diamond patterns across her scales.

"You must be Shrike," she said pleasantly. "I do apologise for the bad impression my sister must've inevitably made back there. And for how she co-opted your cousin like that."

"Ah, it's alright," Shrike replied mildly. "One dragon's bad behaviour merely reflects upon themselves, not on others of their tribe or family so no need to apologise on her behalf. Though I don't think I got your name?"

The SandWing smiled. "I'm Blister," she answered.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Blister," Shrike said.

The SandWing laughed. "The pleasure is all mine. You wouldn't believe how hard it is to find someone civil enough to talk to around here. Though something tells me you're one of those rare opportunities."

"I'm glad you think so," Shrike replied. She was beginning to like Blister more and more by the moment. It dawned on her that it was going to be a very interesting night indeed.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed the first appearances of Queen Oasis, Burn and Blister! Needless to say, they'll be making an appearance in the subsequent chapters too so they're looking forward to getting a bit more screentime around here! My apologies if this chapter came across as comparatively shorter than some of my other chapters lately-it's been a rather busy week though that looks set to be a lot better (thankfully the coming week seems like it'll afford me a bit more time to write)**

 **Meanwhile, it certainly seems that Scarlet and Burn are off to a rather rocky start. By contrast, Blister seems to have made quite a good impression on our thrilling protagonist. How this'll play out later remains to be seen but don't worry, suffice to say everything's going according to plan right now! XDXDXD**

 **That's all from me for this week and I look forward to bringing you the next chapter in Scarlet's story soon! Sit tight and stay thrilling everybody!^^ And a big thank you to all my reviewers as well! XD**

 **MCZ-XD Now that's a crown she wouldn't mind accepting. Especially since no blood needs to be spilt for it and it annoys Shrike to no end!**

 **Empress Kitty-You hit the nail right on the head even before I'd mentioned anything! How in the three moons you guessed that escapes me, unless of course you're secretly a NightWing? And don't worry, I've hardly forgotten about Garnet and Falcon XD They'll be making appearances in later chapters as well! Looking back I realise they've really come a long way since their first cameo in Wings of Sky!**

 **mia-Well, Raven and Scarlet would definitely make an interesting couple XD Though how it all plays out eventually, well that remains to be seen! XD**

 **JPfan35-Hahahahaha, hope you enjoyed the chapter and the next instalment's coming soon! XD**


	15. Temporary Notice

Temporary Notice

Hey there everybody! First of all, I'd like to express my deepest, most heartfelt thanks to all my readers for all your support and patience! You've all been a real source of encouragement for me over the past month and words alone cannot express how grateful I am to have you guys around! XD

Second of all, I need to sincerely apologise to all of you as I probably will not be able to post any updates for this week I'm currently recovering from a recent surgery but I'll be back hopefully by next week with new chapters for your enjoyment! Again, my earnest apologies and hoping for your kind understanding!:)

-The Marine


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